people-from-baghdad

"This obsessive desire to disassociate the past of the region from its present and to present it instead as a primitive stage in the evolution of mankind facilitated the concept of ‘Mesopotamia’ as the rightful domain of the West […] (Bahrani 1999: 166)"

"The creation of a historical narrative in which space and time became transcendental horizons for the Being—Mesopotamia, was part of the larger discursive project through which Europe attempted its mastery of the colonised. The narrative of the progress of civilisation was an invention of European imperialism, a way of constructing history in its own image and claiming precedence for Western culture. (Bahrani 1999: 171)"

"The image of Mesopotamia, upon which we still depend, was necessary for a march of progress from East to West, a concept of world cultural development that is explicitly Eurocentric and imperialist. (Bahrani 1999: 172)"

"The acquisition of monuments and works of art that were shipped to London, Paris and Berlin in the mid-nineteenth century was thus not seen solely, or even primarily, as the appropriation of historical artifacts of Iraq but as the remains of a mythical pre-European past. Mesopotamian cultural remains unearthed in the first days of archaeological exploration then served to illustrate how the modern West had evolved from this stage of the evolution, and that Biblical accounts were true, thus that the Judeo-Christian God was the true God. (Bahrani 1999: 166)"

"Since human civilisation was thought to originate in Mesopotamia, and this civilisation was transferred from the East to the West, the two justifications for the archaeological expeditions were repeatedly stated as being the search for the ‘roots’ of Western culture and to locate the places referred to in the Old Testament. (Bahrani 1999: 166)"

"Archaeology, like other human sciences such as anthropology and history, allowed a European mapping of the subjugated terrain of the Other. While ethnography portrayed the colonised native as a savage requiring Western education and whose culture needed modernisation, archaeology and its practices provided a way of charting the past of colonised lands. (Bahrani 1999: 160)"

"Within this disciplinary organisation the term that came to be the acceptable name for Iraq in the Pre-Islamic period was ‘Mesopotamia.’ This revival of a name applied to the region in the European Classical tradition came to underscore the Babylonian/Assyrian position within the Western historical narrative of civilisation as the remoter, malformed, or partially formed, roots of European culture which has its telos in the flowering of Western culture and, ultimately, the autonomous modern Western man. Thus the term Mesopotamia refers to an atemporal rather than a geographical entity, which is, in the words of the renowned Mesopotamian scholar, A. Leo Oppenheim (1964), a ‘Dead Civilisation.’ This civilisation had to be entirely dissociated, by name, from the local inhabitants and contemporary culture in order to facilitate the portrayal of the history of human civilisation as a single evolutionary process with its natural and ideal outcome in the modern West. (Bahrani 1999: 165)"

"We Christians are the ancient inhabitants of this land, not only in Iraq but throughout the Middle East. Our presence goes back many centuries. In Iraq, we have always lived in the name of brotherhood and coexistence with other religious communities. We have lived together for centuries, but now our presence is endangered. We have helped to shape and fertilize the land, spreading peace, love, justice. And we want to continue to do so in the future."

"We are citizens of Iraq and we have been in this land, our home, for millennia. Politicians leading the country say they hope that Christians will remain in the country and continue to contribute. We ask them not to remain in good intentions, but to put them into practice through works."

"A Muslim is a person who has dedicated his worship exclusively to God, for just as we say in Arabic that something is ‘salima’ to a person, meaning that it became solely his own, so in the same way ‘Islām’ means making one's religion and faith God's alone."

"Amongst the kings of Sind and Hind none treats the Muslims who are established in their domains with more distinction than the Ballahara."

"God loves only those who are not concerned with anything else."

"God says to His favorites; "Night and day are two veils spread out all that I have created but because I have chosen thee for Myself, I have lifted the two veils that thou might see Me and thou has seen Me, therefore, stand in thy place before Me and continue in the vision of Me, for otherwise thou will be snatched away by everything that happens to districts thee. So stand firm and attribute to Me alone all which I have manifested to thee."

"Renunciation of the World is the most essential mark of the spiritual journey to God."

"Gnosis means the vision of God, for when the eyes of the soul is stripped of all the veils which hindered it from seeing God, then it beholds the reality of the Divine Attributes by its own inner light, which goes for beyond the light which is given to perfect faith, for gnosis belongs to a sphere quite other then that of faith. Hence, there is no distinction between love of God and knowledge of God."

"Love leads to knowledge of the Divine mysteries and those who love abide in God and look to Him only, and He is nearer to them than all else and to them in given a vision of Him unveiled and they see Him with the eye of certainty."

"Gnosis truly, is a light which God casts into the heart. True knowledge of God is gained when the lover comes in contact with the Beloved through secret communion with Him."

"Patience is a true means for reaching God. In patience the soul rejoices spiritual bliss and kinship with the Beloved. This is stage when the seeker of God heartily welcomes afflictions which appear on the way to Him"

"Patience has three stages; first, it means that the servant ceases to complain and this is the stage of repentances; second, he becomes satisfied with what is decreed, and this is the rank of the ascetic; third, he comes to love whatever his Lord does with him and this is the stage of the true friends of God."

"Pure love of God illuminates the soul of the lover and the mysteries of His divinity are revealed by God when the vision of the Beloved is contemplated."

"The worshipper, when completely annihilates himself in His adoration, realize the real state of proximity to Him. God Himself removes the barrier between such an inspired devotee and Himself and reveals His Godhead."

"Recollection of God leades to the conversion of human qualities into the Divine Attributes."

"O Lord! Increase light within me and give me light and illuminate me."

"Asceticism concerns the soul for the next world. True asceticism means the thrusting out from the heart of all worldly thoughts reckoning them as vanity. It leads ultimately to friendship with God."

"Though Divine knowledge transcends all thoughts and symbols, yet the mystic's sincere meditation discovers the Ultimare Truth."

"The servant does not attain to assurance of the doctrine of the Unity except by means of gnosis."

"I like any man, I need tenderness and family warmth."

"Security remains a source of instability and fear leading to lack of investment and to people leaving. The international community knows this. There needs to be a collective will, both internationally and locally, to right the wrongs of persecution and to protect the unprotected. It is an issue that needs to be addressed with determination, commitment and passion in order to resolve it for the betterment for all."

"Gnostic gets peace after annihilation in Him."

"Gnostic has an elevated spiritual rank. He eats less, sleeps less and repose less. He is like shinning moon who radiates others and bears the burden of everything on earth, shows right path like light and saturates the heart like water giving it new life."

"To meet people with hypocrisy separates one from God."

"He who cannot bridle his own lower soul, how can he purify the same of others."

"Sinning upto necessity might be pardonable but for self-conceit and pride it is unpardonable since sin of Adam was the accomplishment of desire and sin of Satan self-conceit."

"Every nearest to Divine presence is given spiritual acumen in proportion to his proximity to Divine sanctuary."

"One should avoid rich neighbour, rich savant, and Quran reader on payment."

"The worst punishment from God is the separation from Him."

"O God! Whatever punishment you inflict upon me, do not punish me with the humiliation of being veiled from Thee."

"The entire world is worthless excepting five things: to eat for survival, to take water in order to slake thirst, clothes to cover body, house to dwell in, knowledge just to act upon."

"He who meditates into the mysteries of the Holy Quran is sagacious in true sense."

"In his youth he would say: "One should worship Him in his youth.""

"The genuine mystic dwells in the state of unity."

"Tasawwuf is based on eight qualities: Generosity like that of Prophet Abraham (as), Cheerful submission like that of Prophet Ishaque (as), Patience like that of Yaqoob (as), Prayer like that of Prophet Zachariah (as), Poverty like that of Prophet Yahya (as), Wearing of woollen dress like that of Prophet Musa (as), Travelling about like that of Prophet Issa and (as), Religious poverty like that of Prophet Muhammad."

"Each time I felt a desire to go and play with other children, I would hear a voice saying, "Come to me instead, O blessed one, come to me." In terror I would go and seek the comfort of my mother's arms. Now even in my most intense devotions and long devotions, I cannot hear that voice as clearly."

"He has been glorified by all glorious qualities; he was granted all words. By his noble nature the props of the tent of the whole of existence stay firmly placed; he is the secret of the word of the book of the angel, the meaning of the letters "creation of the world and the heavens"; he is the pen of the Writer Who has written the growing of created things; he is the pupil in the eye of the world, the master who has smithed the seal of existence. He is the one that suckles at the teats of revelation, and carries the eternal mystery; he is the translator of the tongue of eternity. He carries the banner of honor and keeps the reins of praise; he is the central pearl in the necklace of prophethood and the gem in the diadem of messengers. He is the first according to the cause, and the last in existence. He was sent with the Greatest namus to tear the veil of sorrow, to make the difficult easy, to push away the temptation of the hearts, to console the sadness of the spirit, to polish the mirror of the souls, to illuminate the darkness of the hearts, to make rich those who are poor in heart and to loosen the fetters of the souls."

"Be constant in fear of Allah and his worship. Do not fear anyone else nor expect anything from any one. Save yourself - Fear Allah, fear Allah and fear Allah."

"Do not will anything which is not the will of Allah."

"My foot is on the neck of every saint"

"The Law refines the behavior at the door, whereas Knowledge refines the behavior inside."

"I am not prepared to serve a sectarian regime. If we can achieve a broad, clear mandate for national unity, where it doesn’t matter if someone is Kurd or Arab, Sunni or Shiite, then I am ready to take any post."

"I certainly hold an Iraqi national thought and I am an Arab belonging to Iraq. I do not believe in an Islamic state in Iraq. I believe that an Islamic state will harm Iraq a lot and may harm the region. Therefore, I look forward to having a national project in Iraq that controls the future of the country in a civilized and modern form and respects the heritage of Iraq."