GILGAMISH – كلكامش
It’s now called Alsadr city, it is one of the largest and most famous city in Baghdad. No one knows the real population. This city was just a huge vacant land before the revolution in July 14, 1958 which was lead by gen. Abdul Kareem Kassim. It is one of the lands donated by the new Iraqi government, it was good news for poor people to get a piece of land for free and build houses to live in. This is a good side but the bad side is a lot of people migrated especially from the south or Iraq. A lot of farmers left their land and their agriculture and came to Baghdad and lived in this city. Anyhow it’s too late to complain. The people in this city are great in Saddams time it did some development in fixing roads and asphalted. General Kassim was really the father of poor people. I remember one time he said “I’ll raise the poverty level to be equal with the rich people.” Unfortunately Qassim didn’t live too long.
There is one incident Gen Qassim he had a sister and she was poor too she asked him to donate a land for her and her family. Gen. Qassim answered her “let me take care of the people first they are my first priority.” It’s too bad general Kassim was killed by albath party in 1963. Another incident I remember when I was in Baghdad is one of the broadcaster by the name Kassim Newman Alsadee was on TV showing gen. Qassim’s place which was very simple in the defense ministry he was grouching about simple chandeliers hanging from the ceiling in gen. Qassim’s office. Gen Qassim lived in a very small house [rented] in Nidal Street, to compare with the dictator Saddam with more than 100 palaces. My last visit to Baghdad we drove all over the country after the collapse of Saddam’s regime. I knew Althowra Street has changed to Saddam city to Alsadar city. I do have a great respect for Alsadar family because they lost the finest men during Saddam’s era. In Althowra city there was a lot of Kurdish people and they have one area they called haay Alakrad. All I want to know is, why didn’t they name the city by the name Abdul Kareem Qassem for courtesy he deserved a monument or billboard with his picture. With my deep respect to everyone on Iraqi land.
