By Hiba Moussa
Reuters, 12 April 2006
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Scared of venturing out of his Baghdad home at night because of almost daily bombings and kidnappings, Ahmed Youssif is doing behind closed doors what he cannot do outside -- smoking shisha.
Youssif said he would never have survived the long nights without his traditional water pipe, for which he paid 60,000 dinars, about $40.
"It's been months since I last enjoyed smoking a shisha with friends at a Baghdad coffee shop," the 30-year-old laborer said. "Instead, I turned my room into a small heaven for shisha."
Since the February 22 bombing of an important shrine in Samarra that unleashed a wave of sectarian killings, Iraqi authorities have extended a curfew from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am.
The curfew, and the fear of being caught in violence that has pushed the country to the brink of civil war, has forced many Iraqis to stay away from the country's once lively cafes, streets and promenades and instead return home early.
Families and friends now lock themselves up inside their homes, where they share a smoke, play games or watch TV.
After one of his shisha friends was killed last month by gunmen in a violent district in western Baghdad and another escaped an abduction attempt, Youssif said it is just too dangerous to smoke in public.
"Life became too dangerous," he said. "Most people in my social group are either dead, have fled to neighboring countries or are too afraid to go out." He said a few of them occasionally come to his house for a smoke.
Known as shisha, nargila or hookah, the water pipe enshrines one of the ancient customs of the Arab world. Tobacco is soaked in fruit shavings, such as strawberry, apples or grape, then heated to produce an aromatic smoke that is drawn through the pipe's water-filled glass base through ornate, embroidered hoses.
DOMINOS NIGHTS
If a shisha smoke is a heaven for some, playing dominos is sacrosanct for others.
Omar, 25, who asked to be identified only by his first name, said his mother has bought him extra blankets, pillows and mattresses so that friends, even those who live next door, could sleep at his house when they meet for a dominos game at night.
"One night two of my friends were robbed by thieves as soon as they left my house," said Omar at the end of a game, where he shared tea and cigarettes with friends.
Before U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in 2003, Omar and his family, like most Iraqis, used to go out at weekends for picnics or strolls, staying out until late. As security worsened, the only place they feel safe now is the living room.
"We have to adjust ourselves with these new circumstances," he said. "Life must go on, you know."
"OPRAH"
Sahar Moussa, a 40-year-old teacher, said that watching television has become a daily "passion" in her life, especially during the evenings after she gets back home from school.
"I love watching satellite TV channels," she said. "I can't think of doing anything else rather than to sit and watch TV."
With endless television programs available through satellite channels, the only show that Moussa thinks is worth watching is "The Oprah Winfrey Show".
"I love 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'," she said. "I liked her when she gave away cars to her audience for free!"
Before violence escalated in Baghdad's streets, Moussa said she enjoyed visiting friends or shopping late at night.
Although she said she enjoyed watching TV, she said it also had its drawbacks. "I gained a few pounds in one week," she said. "From now on, I have to stop eating chips."
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Citation: Hiba Moussa. "Violence-weary Iraqis turn to dominos, Oprah," Reuters, 12 April 2006.
Original URL: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-12T135728Z_01_IBO245010_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-LEISURE.xml
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