Iraqis getting taboo tattoos as identification in case of death

[Scurrilous]

Iraqis turn to tattoos -- an Islamic sin -- to ID them if they are slain.

<snip>

"Ali Abbas decided that his upper right thigh was the best place for a tattoo because no one gets tortured there.

He had seen hundreds of bodies in the city morgue and dozens of hospitals during his 18-day search for his missing uncle. He had seen drill marks in swollen, often unrecognizable heads, slash marks across necks, and bullet holes in backs, abdomens and swollen hands. He had seen bodies that were thrown into the river, so swollen that they barely looked human. But, by and large, the thighs had been intact.

So that's where he decided to have his name, address and phone number tattooed, in case the day came when someone was searching for his body.

Tattoos are considered a sin in Islam, which holds that believers should not deface their bodies. And tattoo shops, difficult to find in Baghdad, are often in the basement of more reputable shops.

But more and more Iraqis, like Abbas, are willing to risk offending Islam to ease their families' grief in the event of their death. The owner of one tattoo shop in central Baghdad admitted that he had done such tattoos, but he said he didn't want to talk about it for fear that he would be killed."



Ali Abbas, a 24-year-old Iraqi man, shows a tattoo giving his name, neighborhood and family phone number as identification in case he is killed in a bombing or a kidnapping and then dumped on a street. Although tatoos go against Islamic law, many Iraqis are getting ID tattoos so they won't be a nameless victim. Note, some of the lettering on his tattoo has been digitally altered to protect his identity.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15926448.htm

[babylonsister]

1. Just imagine if this happened in the US. Where would you tattoo

yourself to be identified?:cry:

[angry_chuck]

2. it is the mark of the beast

"All the world wondered after the beast . . . and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:3,4)

[razors edge]

3. Bullshit

its just a simple way to get your body parts back home in this case.

There is no beast, other than the one inside man.

[MGD]

7. That has been my guiding philosophy for many years now.

The beast is our inner monkey.

[babylonsister]

4. What does that mean? 'Mark of the beast', or wanting to be

identified for their families?

[angry_chuck]

5. I am not saying it is evil for them to

mark themselves. The evil is the institutions which faciliate the development of the deplorable conditions which warrant such acts. To force someone into a situation where they have to act against their principles out of fear is just despicable and I am ashamed for the horrors our army has been commanded to instill.

[babylonsister]

6. So what woke you up? Or have you not had a like-minded place

to share?

[angry_chuck]

9. I read this book by Jim

Hightower called Thieves in High Places which talked about some evil corporations, especially Wal-Mart. I had read various things on Communism, Facism and many other forms of government but what was called Democracy and described as liberty I didn't see around me. Why when there is so much in the worl should so few have so much whilst the great many are denied even simple necessities of life? It made me sick how evil these men are but to learn that they are controlled by more sinister forces still! I am outraged and have been for some time. I feel like the internet is the place for humanity to unite. I may not speak chinese or swahili but I can make my computer understand with relative ease. I think that the open source software movement embodies the best tenets from marxism, "take what you need, give what you can" and the progress of Ubuntu Linux as an operating system free to all with many language sets to install is a testament to that. These elitist richie snobs want to confuse and exhaust the populous into aquiescence. The buck stops here. If someone lies to you, kick their a** and make them pay. They not only betray you but all your brothers and all your principle beliefs about what is good and just. How can so few confuse so many? A collective unity is necessary but not an all powerful totalitarian new world order. Government should be elastic and flexible to move with the needs of a fast developing society. It is so hard to please so many people with so many opinions. I am glad I am not a politician. We do need a collectively accepted vision for all of humanity and its articulation will only arise from the tireless labor of devoted individuals who strive for equality of oppurtunity for all humans regardless of geographic location or political affiliation.

[keopeli]

8. Powerful symbolism, but off the mark. Welcome to DU!

I can see how, from a fundamentalist Muslim's perspective, they might think of this like "the mark of the beast" since you can't defame your body.

But, I'm more struck by the very real conditions that lead people to break with their faith just because they are so afraid of being tortured. I can't think of any contemporary examples of people marking themselves for identification in case they were beaten and tortured. The conditions that merit this behavior must be so bad, so desperate...I can't even imagine it.

DU is full of passionate people who are, thankfully, very sensitive to the idea of respecting others. Quotes like this, while poignant, will tend to draw angry responses unless you qualify your remarks in the message to let everyone know what you mean. Your follow-up post helped you out a good bit! :)

Thanks for chiming in. This fellow Texan loves seeing Lone Star Staters on DU!

Peace.

[angry_chuck]

12. that is what I mean, I...

don't mind a tatoo but I am not a devout follower of Islam. Were I such acts would be defaming and disgusting. I realize the quote is inflamatory if interpreted incorrectly. I apologize for offended anyone with that because I myself am offended at the audacity displayed by our president. Even if he stole the election he now represents America and his actions thereof reflect upon me and you. The atrocities in Iraq are a direct manifestation of the evil we have accepted through our blindness. That is what I meant by mark of the beast. It is subjective, what is defamatory to one man may be art to another. That is not the issue. The man being forced to violate his ethical views is the tragedy. The one thing that fear and horrible violence should be unable to touch is one's moral convictions. The man tatooing himself in this context is acceptance of his death in his mind and he is excersing his only power to relieve the grief which this perceived (real or not) eventuality shall inflict upon his family and loved ones. That is the tragedy, Utter hopelessness and despair cause you to abandon all you hold dear because of the unbearble sufferning day in and day out. The government owns us (has marked us) in that they pay for these crimes with the money they extort form all Americans through various taxes lawful and unlawful. In your wallet are the documents you carry with you all the time. That should tell you where your allegiance and loyalty lies. It is 'in your forehead' because you know what is in it before you open it. Why don't we let the gov just put RFIDs in all of us tied to our national (or world) id number and get it over with...Enumeration is the mark...It is all around. You may believe that Jesus is the son of god or not, that is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the small hegemony of corporate paymasters believe in Jesus as the only god and he has ordained that they, the 'men of privilege' are the only ones fit to rule and that you must shut up and take it. I thought we were trying to escape that divine right of kings theorem already?

[BrotherBuzz]

10. So, do the fundy Islamists settle for sewing their name on the underwear...

like my mommy used to do? :shrug:

[babylonsister]

13. Hmmm. Was that necessary? nt

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Why not?

Military tattoos are not uncommon for former Iraqi Republican Guard members who are fighting, Fundamentalists would resist marking their bodies.

[MADem]

11. There are also sub-sects within Islam that don't look on it so terribly

While it is true that most Muslims don't go for them, there are a few tribal groupings whose tatooing culture predated Islam and they kept up their traditions. http://www.tattooheaven.com/IraqTat.html

Generally tattooing is extremely frowned upon and forbidden to Muslims, but the tribal body art is far, far older than Islam, and thus still persists. Saddam Hussain himself has at least one tribal protective tattoo on his hand. By recent decree tattoos are done punatively on the forehead in Iraq to mark criminals, especially those who have had Sharia-judgement amputations. Law-abiding veterans of the Iran-Iraq war, amputees themselves, insisted upon a distinction being made.

[keopeli]

15. Very enlightening, MADem, thanks! n/t