From today’s NY Times (Page 1):
Iraqis Who Died Whild Daring to Vote are Mourned as Martyrs BY Edward Wong
I’m not posting a link to the article at NYTimes.com because they require registration. You know what to do if you want to get there.
In any event, the article is topped by a picture of hands reaching up from within a newly-dug grave to accept the body of Naim Rahim Yacoubi, 37, as it is lowered down into the ground. There is a quote from the deceased man’s friend, Shukur Jasim: “You can see the finger with which he voted…He’s a martyr now.” Despite having been washed for burial, Yacoubi’s hand still bore the ink which marked him as a voter.
The poor man had already voted, and was mortally wounded by flying shrapnel when a suicide bomber blew himself up as Yacoubi brought tea from his house to serve the election workers.
Let me make this clear. I do NOT want this to spark debates or rants about George Bush, the Republicans, the Democrats, the Iraqis, the Iraq invasion, terrorists, Muslims or anyone or anything else. I am keeping mute on my opinions regarding all of those here, and I hope (not with too much optimism, but nonetheless) that others will do the same.
I just want to salute a man who, like many other men and women in many places and times, died for what he believed in. (Before anyone mentions it, I am not including suicide bombers in that salute. Their message is hatred, regardless of their personal ideologies.) If possible, I find it even more poignant that he died while performing an act of courtesy and kindness toward the election workers rather than while casting his own vote.
I hope Mr. Yacoubi and the others who died in the election are commemorated, and I hope Iraqi elections become a safe, regular and unremarkable event in Iraq.
Here’s to you, Mr. Yacoubi.
(NB – the ellipsis in Mr. Jasim’s quote does not indicate a deletion from his quote, but a deleted description of Mr. Yacoubi’s body lying on a concrete washing slab which bisected his quote in the original article. I have not altered Mr. Jasim’s quote. Apologies if I failed to punctuate this properly, but I tried my best.)