Adhamiya - Gated Community or Prison?

(Image Source: Middle East Online)

The U.S. military briefly halted construction of a wall around the Adhamiya neighborhood in Baghdad after Prime Minister Maliki protested it. However, Maliki has apparently "reconsidered," and construction has resumed.

Both Shias and Sunnis are nervous about the wall and feel that it may increase problems. Over the weekend, this unease resulted in a large protest in which both Shia and Sunni participated. Of course, the fact that the wall is being built at night probably does nothing for the nerves of any residents in the area.

(Image source: The Lede)
A video report (linked from the above article) details the concerns about the walling off of the neighborhood. It is referenced as a "so-called gated community" whose purpose is to provide control and security. Some Sunnis fear that aside from the longer term issues of segregating the city, that the wall makes them targets for militias. There are apparently six gates into the area which limits escape routes, but also concentrates people as they enter and leave the neighborhood.

The wall, which is made out of blast barriers will be roughly three miles long when completed, and is estimated to cost $12,477,500 to construct. Here is the cost breakdown from Wired News:

1 T-wall = approx. $1500 Transportation for 1 T-wall (from Irbil to Baghdad) $800 Labor/Equip. to install one T-wall = approx. $800 Total for 1 T-wall = $3100 T-wall dimensions = approx. 1.2m wide 3 miles = 4830 meters = 4025 T-walls 4025 X $3100 = $12,477,500

So what's this thing with walls? A wall along the border between Mexico and the United States. A wall weaving its way through Baghdad. A wall around Falluja (we know what happened there). Israel builds its walls too, around which Palestinians take most of the day to travel five miles. The US says the Baghdad wall is for security and control. We might have figured that as that what walls always seem to be for. Walls keep bad people out - or in - to protect the good people. Walls divide and they isolate. Walls separate, and in that separation distrust grows - and sometimes indifference. Walls hide - privilege or ruin. Remember Lady Bird Johnson's beautification of America - putting junk yards behind walls. Out of sight out of mind and the toxic flotsam of a voracious society grew.

Iraqis join together to protest a wall. A wise people. Perhaps a base upon which peace could be built.