Oh, the irony. Iraqis use US dollars to buy satellite TV dishes that were banned by Saddam Hussein, in a free media environment made possible by the US, and then.....watch Arab channels that are highly critical of Washington.
reuters.com
As men clutching crisp U.S. dollars crowd round him, Mohammad Al-Samarie patiently explains what it will cost for the satellite dishes that are giving Iraqis a window on the world. Business could not be better for Samarie, who sells 200 dishes and receivers each day from his shop in Baghdad's commercial hub, where satellite dishes vie for space on the pavement with new televisions, air conditioners and fridges.........Before Saddam's downfall, owning a satellite dish was an offence and risked time in jail. Viewers could only choose from stodgy state channels serving up reports glorifying Saddam. Now, thousands of arc-shaped satellite dishes dot the Baghdad skyline, stuck on flat roofs or jutting out from balconies of cramped apartments.
But, there's hope yet:
We would not rely on the previous channels under Saddam," said (Hussein Ali, a 28-year-old furniture designer), before dashing in to buy another dish, explaining that his sisters had hijacked the TV to watch Egyptian soap dramas during the holy month of Ramadan. "I need another so I can watch the sport channels," Ali said with a grin. |
