SALAM IS IN BAGHDAD

Ali, a friend in Iraq, sent me this link to a post by Salam, "I Want Baghdad to Feel Like Home Again." It was originally written for his blog on The Guardian (UK), and re-posted today on Iraq Update. The important thing is that he arrived safely in Baghdad. Click title of this post.

I hope he gets his wish. However, Salam, remember to keep your head down!

Salam Pax Video

I found four short videos made by Salam Pax in 2005-06. Salam made his first video for Guardian Films, "Salam Pax in Amara," in January 2005. The video, "Baghdad Blogger: Constitution," was made in October 2005. "The Battle for Women's Rights," was made sometime after the general elections in Iraq, 2005. The video, "How to Stay Alive in Baghdad," was made in July 2006. All are under 15 minutes.

I also found the longer, feature-length video "The Baghdad Blogger," about how he came to be, made in February 2005. Each video is distributed by, and available on, the Journeyman Pictures, UK, site to which all these links refer. A DVD of each is also available on the site.

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Here is the link for the "Amara" video: http://www.journeyman.tv/18118/short-films/salam-pax-in-amara.html

The link for "Baghdad Blogger: Constitution" is:
http://www.journeyman.tv/19111/short-films/baghdad-blogger-constitution.html

Here is the link where you can download the "Women's Rights": http://www.journeyman.tv/18444/short-films/the-battle-for-womens-rights.html

The link for the "Stay Alive" video is: http://www.journeyman.tv/56445/short-films/how-to-stay-alive-in-iraq.html

The link for the longer video, "The Baghdad Blogger" is: http://www.journeyman.tv/18160/documentaries/the-baghdad-blogger.html

Journeyman Pictures has a number of other videos made in, and about, Iraq by various independent filmmakers. You can search the site by country.

Salam Pax is, indeed, in London

I haven't posted because I was waiting to see if what I interpreted as hints from what Salam posted were, indeed, factual. They were. Salam Pax is alive and well in the UK.

He posted 17 June on the Guardian Web blog called "Talk About Newsnight," with the title "The Return of the Baghdad Blogger." I hadn't checked since before the Memorial Day weekend. I bad! Click title of this post for link.

Salam confirms that he and his entire family are now safely out of Iraq, but scattered in different countries. He is not happy to be uprooted, but happy everyone is safe at the moment. He is studying. He also reports that he should have a video to post this month.

I'm checking to see what is happening with the movie tentatively titled BAGHDAD BLOG. The production company is also in the UK.

I apologize for not posting for so very long. I shall try to post more often from now on. If you wish to send an e-mail, check my profile for address.

WHERE IS SALAM PAX?

I have created this blog to search for Salam Pax. The name is a pseudonym of the "Baghdad Blogger." It is composed of the Arabic and Latin words for peace. After seaching the Web, I found that he was, apparently, last heard from when he posted two videos in April 2007 on CNN's "World's Untold Stories."

He last posted on his "Justzipit" blog , also known as "Shut Up You Fat Whiner," 18 July 2006. As of this posting, Salam's original blog "Where is Raed?" had been tampered with and is now unreadable, unless you use the edit/select all button on your browser. Does he know this? Does he care?

You can buy the book of the blog, Salam Pax: The Clandestine Diary of an Ordinary Iraqi on Amazon.com. While you are there, order Riverbend's Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. Raed Jarrar, the "Raed" Salam was looking for, calls Riverbend (pseudonym) his virtual sister. Raed is now in the U. S.

A couple of years ago, Salam revealed that his father is Adnan al-Janabi, who was elected to the National Assembly in the January 2005 elections and in May 2005 became a member of the committee set up by the Iraqi Transitional Government to write a permanent constitution. His father is not a member of the current Council of Representatives.

So, where is Salam now? Is his family still in Baghdad? Has the al-Janabi family fled to Jordan or Syria? Riverbend reported on her last post in April that her family had decided to leave Baghdad, and there have been no further posts on her blog, Baghdad Burning.

Please comment, especially if you can offer any information as to the whereabouts of these two talented and brave bloggers, Salam Pax and/or Riverbend.