Hassan Blasim

As you already know my name is Ryan Murray. I am a senior here at Kutztown University graduating this May of 2020, majoring in criminal justice and minoring in sociology. I grew up in a small town in north eastern Pennsylvania called West Pittston. I graduated high school in 2016 from Wyoming Area. My junior year of high school I joined the Army, and I am still currently serving. I’ve been in for 5 years now, and have about one more year left on my first contact. I love being in the army, I met so many awesome people and gained so many valuable skills from there. So I do plan on doing my full 20 years in the army. I also have another plan in life that is currently going perfectly planned. I just finished the 1.5 year process for the PA state police and got accepted. I was supposed to leave for the academy in May but the way things are going right now with this whole world wide pandemic because of covid-19 I wouldn’t be surprised if they postponed that academy class and pushed it back until like August. I’m just happy that I finally finished the process and officially got in. I also recently adopted a dog, her name is shiloh. Life has been a long journey, and so far a good one.

https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/the-green-zone-rabbit

Summary

The Green Zone Rabbit is a story of Hajjar, Salsal, and a rabbit. Hajjar had gone through a lot of life difficulties before meeting with Salsal whom he stays with in the green zone. The green zone neighborhood was comprised of politicians and their bodyguards. The government only allowed politicians to live in this neighborhood and regular security operations were conducted to ensure the place is safe. Salsal and Hajjar lived in the neighborhood because they pretended to be bodyguards to some politician(s) as they waited to execute their mission. Hajjar wanted revenge after his two brothers were murder in inhumane way that saw their bodies drilled lots of holes and they heads cut off. Umm Dala brought a rabbit that she said she found on the park and Hajjar took care of it and loved it equally. On the day of their mission, to kill the deputy minister of culture, things did not go as planned. Hajjar knew after the mission they will disappear to the edge of the capital, so he put the rabbit in the trunk of the car. After waiting for long for their target, they became tired and Hajjar went to the shop to buy cigarettes, he needed to get out because he was so mad, he said “My heart was pounding like crazy from the anger” but then the car blew up and burned Salsal and the rabbit. 

Response

The story relates to things that happen in the modern world and it paints a picture of what human beings are, and what they are willing to give to satisfy their interests. Just like in the story, politicians are often characterized as selfish and those who will stand down for nothing to achieve their goals. Human beings tend to revenge whenever something they consider unjust happen to them. In the story, Hajjar is willing to conspire to commit murder because of the injustice he went through. In societies where the system has failed to deliver justice to the people, individuals often take law onto their hands.   

https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/the-green-zone-rabbit

Blasims Interview

In the interview, Blasim talks about various issues, such as his experience in Iraq as a filmmaker, his work, and how he ended up in Finland. He describes his experience as a filmmaker in Iraq as stressful and difficult. He recounts when his brother was in prison because of politicking. During that period, he was followed everywhere and threatened not to do stories and films regarding the state of the country. He was also warned against showcasing immorality and treachery of the regime in his films. He also addresses how he ended up in Finland in the interview. He admits that it was a long journey, and together with other immigrants, he had to pay “mafias” money to cross borders in Europe, and finally, he got to Finland in 2004. Lastly, he talks about his work and how the world perceives the Arabic culture.

Interview Analysis

Blasim discusses his culture passionately and eloquently despite having moved from Iraq years back. He is concerned about issues that affected the society then and even presently because he believes in telling his story and the story of his people. The central focus of the interview is Blasims experience as a filmmaker and a writer in Iraq and as a refugee in Finland. Throughout the interview, Blasim takes us back and forth about his experience in Iraq and his current views. He believes that culture, religion, and other elements like politics, and closely related and they affect each other. Just the way Christian countries acknowledge other religions such as Islam, Blasim claims that Arabic countries such as Iraq and Egypt do the same. Blasims call to action is the presence of stereotypes and racism against certain cultures and religions such as Islam. He confirms that the deeds of terrorists from Islamic countries have made the world perceive Islam differently. Despite the problems experienced in Iraq, he believes that his people will rise again.

Blasims Bio

Blasim is a well-known and established film director and writer. He was born in Iraq in 1973, and currently, he is a Finland citizen. Becoming a citizen of Finland was not optional as he arrived in the country in 2004 as a refugee from Iraq. In Iraq, he pushed for critical issues in the society in terms of social, economic, and political scope. He also advocated for the rights of the people, and as a result, he had to flee the country and enter his new home, Finland (Bahoora, 191). Throughout his life, Blasim has invested in short films and stories. He has done numerous stories in Arabic, and some of his work has been translated into English to serve a bigger audience.

Blasim Films and Stories

Just like any established film director and writer, Blasim possesses a lot of work, including The Wounded Camera, Juuret, The Green Zone Rabbit, and Diving into Existing, among others. In The Green Zone Rabbit, Blasim exposes the human violence present in Iraq graphically and sensationally. The story is about his two brothers, who are subjected to torture and inhumane treatment. The militias drill holes into the bodies of these two individuals, and later cut off their heads (Blasim & Wright, 43).

Work cited

Bahoora, Haytham. “Writing the Dismembered Nation: The Aesthetics of Horror in Iraq Narratives of War.” The Arab Studies Journal 23.1 (2015): 184-208.

Blasim, Hassan, and Jonathan Wright. “A Refugee in the Paradise that is Europe.” (2018): 43-43.