by Sylvia McMillan Finlayson
I saw my former professor and committee chairman, James B. Mayfield, on Fox News a couple of months ago. He was being interviewed in Iraq, of all places, and my first thought was, ‘Of course he is the man they would call for this kind of a job.’ What job is that you may ask? The job of teaching a nation democracy.
Dr. Mayfield is on the ground in Iraq, holding meetings, showing people what they can be, empowering them to learn the art of local government. The emails he has sent home, some of which we share here, portray a very different situation in Iraq than we often hear on the news.
It has been a year since the United States and coalition forces entered Iraq to liberate an oppressed people from an evil regime. A recent and extensive poll conducted in Iraq shows that the majority of Iraqis say life is better now that Saddam Hussein is gone. But you would never know that from reading U.S. newspapers which talk of so-called Iraqi resistance, guerrilla forces and the bombing of American soldiers. The press bandies about the use of terms like “occupation”, “quagmire” and they site the old wound of Vietnam as if there is some comparison here. If Iraq is another Vietnam, then why the inconsistent response from the Iraqi people?
Despite the trials of having a country occupied by foreign troops, Reuters reports that “Iraqis generally appear to want occupation forces to stay at least until security is restored and an Iraqi government is in place”. What many papers report as “insurgents”, the Iraqi people call criminal gangs and deposed Saddamite thugs who have no hope of future tyranny over Iraqi citizens.
Democracy is the goal and just a few short weeks ago, on March 8, an interim constitution was signed which provides some of the strongest language for guarantee of civil rights for individuals, women and minorities anywhere in the entire Arab world. The plan to hand over power to Iraqis on June 30th is on schedule and an election process is currently being reviewed.
Steven Vincent from the National Review reports, “we might follow the example of some Baghdadi diners I recently overheard who, when asked how they viewed the “occupation,” replied, “Occupation? This is a liberation.” The predictions of doom and gloom have all but fizzled, yet the media continue to focus on incidents that make it appear the U.S. effort is failing. The reality is the bombings in Iraq hurt the civilians there far worse than they do the U.S. forces. The attacks are not against the United States occupation, they are against the people of Iraq who are making a brave and bold move towards democracy.
Robert Kagan and William Kristol report in the Weekly Standard, “there are hopeful signs that Iraqis of differing religious, ethnic, and political persuasions can work together. This is a far cry from the predictions made before the war by many, both here and in Europe that a liberated Iraq would fracture into feuding clans and unleash a bloodbath.”
Still the negative press persists. In the New York Times, Michael Ignatieff, an early and reluctant supporter of the war says this, “The press coverage from Baghdad is so gloomy that it’s hard to remember that a dictator is gone, oil is pumping again and the proposed interim constitution contains strong human rights guarantees. We seem not even to recognize freedom when we see it: Shiites by the hundreds of thousands walking barefoot to celebrate in the holy city of Karbala, Iraqis turning up at town meetings and trying out democracy for the first time, newspapers and free media sprouting everywhere, daily demonstrations in the streets.
“If freedom is the only goal that redeems all the dying, there is more real freedom in Iraq than at any time in its history. And why should we suppose that freedom will be anything other than messy, chaotic, even frightening? Why should we be surprised that Iraqis are using their freedom to tell us to go home? Wouldn’t we do just the same?”
Despite the tremendous obstacles and very real threat to their lives, the Iraqi people are working to make a sound future for their country. Real Arab reform is underway and, with the help of the U.S., they are taking ownership of the process and embracing freedom and opportunity as never before. Unemployment is still high, but steadily decreasing. Oil production is up, wages are increasing, consumer goods are filling the shelves, public services are better and, according to a Washington Times report, nearly a million more Iraqis have cars since Hussein was overthrown.
“Support for violent Islam is waning in almost all Muslim countries,” wrote Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria. “Discussions from Libya to Saudi Arabia are all about liberalization. Ever since September 11 [2001], when the spotlight has been directed on these societies and their dysfunctions laid bare to the world, it is the hard-liners who are in retreat and the moderates on the rise.”
One Can Make a Difference
James B. Mayfield, a retired professor in Middle East Studies from the University of Utah, has been in Iraq for nearly a year now. Dr. Mayfield speaks multiple languages (one of which is Iraqi Arabic) and has worked in literally dozens of countries around the world teaching local government development.
As a former bishop and mission president, Jim is no stranger to serving his fellow men and women. When Research Triangle Institute, one of the companies given a contract by USAID to work in Iraq, asked him about the possibility of going to Iraq, Jim prayed and fasted about it, knowing it would be a dangerous assignment. He accepted the call with the peace and assurance that only the spirit can bring. Jim Mayfield has been a tremendous blessing to hundreds of individuals while serving there; teaching so many about the vision of democracy.
Away from his wife Rosalind, their 11 children and 40 grandchildren for the past year, Jim has been able to stay in close touch through email. Here’s a sample which may shed new light on the progress that is being made in Iraq.
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Late Summer 2003
Dear Rosalind,
As we left Kuwait city at 5:00 am, the sunrise was beautiful as it reflected off the Persian Gulf.
The trip from Kuwait to the border was uneventful. Long lines of trucks filled with everything you can imagine (water, pipes, etc.). It took an hour to get through customs, and each of us was supposed to wear bulletproof jackets as soon as we got into Iraq. At first, it was just like Kuwait, desert, very dusty, but in the first town we saw the tragedy of the Gulf war back in 1990. Most of that little town was still in rubble, with children begging and everything looking hopeless.
As we moved up the road we began to see signs of green, palm trees, with herds of goats, sheep, and isolated Bedouin tents every few miles. To our surprise the road now was a four-lane divided highway. Saddam Hussein built a very good highway system much like Hitler had done in Germany. But with one difference, we were driving about 70 miles an hour when suddenly a herd (30-40) of camels came charging across the freeway and we almost hit one or two, it was a close call.
We were in a caravan of two cars with each having a driver and one guard with a weapon to protect us. Soon we came to the first town and to our amazement we saw local police at the intersections, the children would wave in a very friendly way, and the adults appeared very friendly. Soon we decided to take off our bulletproof jackets. Because of the heat and the heavy load, our SUV’s soon ran out of gas and we had to find gas on the black market. We finally found a young boy selling gas out of an old gas drum and, while we were not certain the gas was any good, we had no choice. There were 8 of us in the two cars.
Finally we started out again. Everywhere were these huge lines of US Army trucks and commercial trucks carrying supplies up to Baghdad. Then the unthinkable happened, the fuel pump on our vehicle started acting up and driver did not know what to do so he wanted to stop and wait until a new car could be sent up from Kuwait. I said absolutely not, we needed to be in Hillah before dark, as it was too dangerous to be out after dark. Well nobody seemed know what to do, so I said, “I am going to drive this car myself”. It would go for a few miles and die out and after about 5 minutes of trying I would get it started again and then drive for 3- 4 miles and it would die again. I kept this up until we got to the outskirts of Hillah (Babylon) and it died for good. A taxi driver said he would help us get to the Babylon Hotel where we were to stay. He pulled out picture of President Bush kissed it and said Bush is good Saddam is very bad.
We finally arrived. It is beautiful here, hundreds of palm groves, rich green fields of wheat, beans cover. It is like Egypt, but even more beautiful. I cannot believe how beautiful. Well there are fifty soldiers here waiting to use the internet, so I have to go. I will try to continue this description a little later.
Jim
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17 July 2003
Hi everyone. I am presently working in the South Central Region which includes five governorates: Babil, Kerbala, Najaf, Qadasiyah, and Wasit. I am the team leader with some 50 local government and civil society experts, working with the local government system.
Our job focuses on four things:
(1) Working with the local councils that are being set up in each governorate and municipality of this area. Establishing bylaws, procedures, duties and responsibilities by using local Iraqi professionals to ensure the councils reflect a broad representative base (local tribal leaders, religious leaders, professionals in a wide variety of professions, and others influential in each governorate.)
It has been very interesting to watch the process of debate, discussion and reflection that is going on with these leaders as they struggle determining the meaning of democracy within an Islamic context. It is clear the vast majority of Iraqis want us to stay, for most of them admit that if we were to leave now, that Saddam Hussein would force itself upon these people very quickly.
(2) A big part of my job is to design training programs and allocating our staff out into the governorates to work with the local governorate departments (water, education, health, energy, communication, etc.) providing training in planning, budgeting, implementing, providing services, etc.
It is also very interesting to see these local officials blossom under the freedom to determine their own problems, to freely prioritize them, and to respond to their communities who now feel free to approach their government officials.
(3) Next, we have a grants program where NGOs, government departments and other private citizens can identify a specific need and we have a big pile of money to allocate, based on some criteria: the need is recognized and articulated by the community, it will impact a significant number of people.
The community is willing to participate, donating labor, materials and even some cash as part of the process. We have provided medicine for hospitals and clinics, blackboards and school supplies for schools, transformer repairs to bring electricity into community neighborhoods, repaired fire stations, rebuilt class rooms in a local university, provided piping and other supplies for the local sewage system, etc.
(4) We have a group of civil society experts, who are working with local neighborhoods, identifying groups who want to organize themselves into private associations (nurses, teachers, civil rights groups, attorneys, neighborhood groups, etc.) We have a procedure for teaching people the meaning and processes of democracy, rule of law, transparent government decision making, representation, etc.
It has been an exciting and busy time and I am honored to be a part of a process that hopefully with bring greater freedom and prosperity to all the people of Iraq.
Hussein’s Legacy
People in America have no idea what the people of Iraq suffered under the brutality, torture, and terrorism of the former regime. Even I, who had read 20 plus books on the Saddam Hussein regime, was not prepared for the personal stories and experiences that hundreds of people here have shared with me.
Probably 2 to 3 million out of a population of 24 million really benefited from the Baathist party: big homes, fancy cars, special medical and educational perks for their families, while the vast majority of the people suffered deeply. Small groups of these Baathists still exist and are doing everything possible to discourage the Americans, killing a few soldiers here and there, even shooting Iraqis who are standing up against these criminals.
I sat with a group of some 35 shaykhs, all of them Shiites. They make up 65 percent of the population. They spent four hours with me pleading with me to tell Ambassador Bremmer that the Americans must stay, that if we leave too soon, the Baathists will come back. These Baathists are still functioning in secret; they have weapons, money, and organization and it will take several years to remove their influence. One of them said to me, “Remember you Americans stayed in Germany and Japan for a long enough to ensure that the dictators did not come back. Please do the same for us.”
They also acknowledged that Iranian-backed extremists are fomenting trouble in the cities and that most Shiites do not want an Iranian type Shiite government either. They have experienced Baathist authoritarianism for more than 35 years and they do not want it ever again.
Authoritarianism, whether political or religious is not acceptable for these Iraqi leaders. They know also that most of the central government ministries are still dominated by Sunnis and that while they appear cooperative, many wonder if the US has the staying power to ensure that all religions will be fairly treated and that the political rights of all groups will be protected in the future.
One Sunni said to me: I hated Saddam with all my heart, but I am afraid he will come back and those of us who worked with you will be executed immediately upon his return. Please tell the American people that your government is our only hope for a free and prosperous future.
I hope this gives you a flavor of what I am doing.
Jim
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August 3, 2003
My work has shifted this past week with the new emphasis on neighborhood councils. We have over 40 neighborhood councils in Hillah, each headed by a Mukhtar (neighborhood chief). We have started a strategy of grassroots democracy.
Last night I went to one of these neighborhood council meetings. About 100 people came to a local school where I made a presentation. I talked about the possibility of establishing a democratic system in their neighborhood. Many of them stood up and spoke; even one woman had the courage to stand. Finally a young man, 17 or 18 and asked me a tough question. How will democracy help me find a job?
I told him that when the dictatorship in Japan was destroyed after World War II, the Japanese people had to wait nearly 9 years before they had a functioning democracy. And now they are one of the richest countries in the world. I said to the young Iraqi, “If you ask a Japanese man, ‘was it worth waiting nine years to have a democracy in Japan’, all Japanese will say yes it was worth the wait.” Then I said, “Please be patient, it will not take nine years, probably or 2 or 3 years. Can you be patient?” He said, “No, I need money now!!”
I then stopped the conversation and said to all the people in the meeting, “Please note this young man, he is the future of Iraq. He stood up with courage, faced me and asked me a tough question. This is what democracy is about. If this boy had stood up and asked a hard question under Saddam Hussein, he probably would have been shot.” Then I said, “I want to congratulate this young man, I want to applaud his courage.”
Suddenly the whole audience stood up and openly applauded this young man. He was smiling so happily and I gave him a thumbs up sign and he returned it to me and I knew I had made a friend.
When Jim went to the neighborhood council meeting the next time, he found out that this young man had been elected to be the council member for his neighborhood. Someday he will be a leader in Iraq.
Getting Money to Do the Job
I have been fighting for six weeks to get the Ministry of Finance in Baghdad to release the current budget to the local government departments. I finally went up to the Ministry in Baghdad and tried again to get the permission. The Minister said there were still some things that had to be done before the money could be disbursed. I was so frustrated and I went to the US representative in the Ministry of Finance to share my frustration. When he heard my story, he went back to the minister and ordered him to release the money for the local departments. He immediately wrote the letter and I then took it back to the governorates in my area and sent a copy of this letter to all regional chiefs of RTI throughout Iraq.
For the first time in over two months, all the local departments (health, education, sewage, water, roads, trade, communication, and many others) will have the money they need to help the people. I introduced to all the departments the “No Decision Rule” of the old regime. Never make a decision, because it might be wrong and you will be shot. The best way for a bureaucratic to stay alive was to never make a decision. The new rule is always make decisions and the people will bless you. It is hard to get bureaucrats to use the second rule, rather than the first rule. I finally have found a few with some courage. So today was a very successful day. I will sleep well to night. (smile)
Well I am very sleepy tonight, but I am thinking of our wonderful family.
Love,
Jim Dad Grandpa
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One of the major desires of the people is for their boys to have a place to play soccer. I told Mike Gfoeller, the head of the Coalition in the South Central Region, we had 50 neighborhoods who all wanted help to set up a soccer program: three teams in each neighborhood. Boys 13-15, 16-19, 20-24. I said about 50 in each governorate. He smiled and said he would be happy to help. Geevan Camapos, who has been in RTI for less than a month, is a professional soccer player and I have given him the challenge and he is so excited he can hardly stand it.
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October 21, 2003
Yesterday I met with a huge gathering of tribal leaders here in Hillah. Over 1300 from all over Iraq. Major Fadi, political advisor to Mike Gfoeller, and I were the only non Iraqis there. It was absolutely amazing to see these many shaykhs, Shia, Sunni and Kurdish.
Today was an exciting day for Democracy in Iraq. Because of the work being done by RTI and CPA staff in the governorates of the South Central Region, working with the Tribal Democracy Assemblies, one of the major intermediate results, the enhancement of civil society organizations was greatly accelerated today.
Every three months nearly 1000 tribal leaders from Mosul in the North to Basra in the South, meet to discuss ways that the tribals can support the Coalition Forces in their efforts to establish a unified democratic constitution in Iraq. This has to be seen as a very significant meeting. Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish tribal leaders from the major tribes of Iraq, were invited to participate and to speak to the Assembly. Major Fadi Petro of South Central CPA and I were the only two Americans invited.
The message of all the speakers was loud and clear. The unity of Iraq must be preserved, there must be a democratic constitution established, and we appreciate what the Coalition has done to free us from the regime of Saddam Hussein. To see so many tribal leaders all in one place was an amazing experience. It is too bad CNN could not have been there.
Well I need to go to sleep. It seems like I am working about 18 hours a day and I still don’t get everything done I need to do. For the last two nights I have been up until 2:00 am finishing some official emails on some staff problems that I have to deal with. Several people get over here and they cannot stand the pressure and the restrictions on our movements. We stay in the house except when we are outside on business. That is very boring.
Jim
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October 2003
I just got back from a trip to East Iraq, the town of Amara near the Iranian border. This is a very poor part of Iraq, a place where Saddam Hussein was especially cruel.
I gave them a two-day workshop on how they can disburse money from their budget. They are afraid to disburse money because they are used to waiting until Baghdad tells them to. So all of this money is just sitting in the bank, and the bureaucrats are afraid if they make a mistake, some one will shoot them as Saddam Hussein used to do. So Satie and I spent the whole time trying to help them.
They had heard about my workshops and so they sent a special convoy over to pick me up and then take me back. My reputation is growing because of the success we have had in the South Central Region and now I may be invited to give this workshop in many other parts of Iraq. It will be fun to see the North and the South areas. When I travel they always have lots of guards and I am completely protected.
A Special Church Meeting
Well it is Friday night and I am just now getting back from Sacrament meeting. We are the four musketeers and meet each Friday at 4:00pm. We have a prayer, a song (Today “We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet”). Then we have the Sacrament and each of us take a few minutes to share our testimony. There is such a sweet spirit in the room. We are surrounded with soldiers, armored cars, trucks, guns, and military paraphernalia. Yet in our little room, we are alone with the Lord and all is well.
Col. Curt Whiteford is the highest-ranking officer and I am the highest ranking civilian in RTI, so we have a lot of clout. We meet on a regular basis and I have come to really appreciate his quiet but extremely competent way. He is a convert, has been in a bishopric, and keeps a Book of Mormon on his office desk. Everybody knows we are Mormons and it makes our life interesting. Wes Hare is also a convert and he drives up from Karbala each Friday to be with us. He has a very calming spirit and I enjoy being with him when I go to Karbala for training. He is a City Manager from Oregon and came here to make a difference. We have a young sergeant, Corey, from Arizona, who lives in the barracks, and suffers from the swearing, smoking and drinking that goes on there. He is strong in the gospel and adds a sweet spirit to our meeting.
We were reading from the Book of Mormon in 2nd Nephi 11: 2. It is about how Nephi gained a testimony from Isaiah, who testified about Jesus Christ. I read also from Alma 29: 8 which says that God gives unto to all nations that truth that they can bear, a verse Spencer W. Kimball quoted back in 1976 when the priesthood was given to all people, regardless of race or color. It shows me that in every culture and tradition, there can be some influence from God, thus encouraging us to focus on the similarities and not the differences between people.
Because tomorrow is November 1, 2003, the Baathists have said they will bomb many of the military bases and cause much damage. We have been told to stay in our Villa, so maybe I can get some extra sleep. That will be nice.
Love,
Jim
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Look for part two of Professor James B. Mayfield’s emails from Iraq.
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