Iraqi businesses fight terrorism by staying open

By Khalid al-Taie in Baghdad
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-09-04

[Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images] Iraqi businesses quickly repair their storefronts following bombings.

A few weeks after a terrorist attack forced him to close down his New Baghdad coffee shop, Abbas Hamid defiantly re-opened his business recently and started receiving customers again.

The roadside bomb that exploded near Hamid's shop wounded a number of pedestrians and damaged nearby stores, including his own.

But Hamid quickly made the necessary repair work to the building and bought new furniture to replace the items damaged by the explosion.

"The terrorists will not stop the wheel of life in Iraq regardless of the heinous crimes and acts they commit," Hamid said as he greeted customers on Wednesday, August 25th.

This was not the first time that Hamid's business suffered damage from terrorist bombings. In 2005, a car bomb explosion forced Hamid to close his doors and re-build his shop.

"The coffee shop will stay open and will receive customers late into the night," Hamid said. "We are strong people, with a strong will and the ability to deal with different difficulties."

Visitors to the main street in New Baghdad may be surprised by the business-owners' perseverance.

In previous years, many of the area's stores were hit by terrorist bombings and sustained damages. However, not a single store is closed now.

Sadik Abu Zaineb is a store-owner whose business has suffered because of terrorist bombings: his electric appliance shop was destroyed several times.

"This is the final outcome of terrorism: loss of loved ones and destruction of public and private properties," he said.

"Those who call themselves jihadists and the resistance are targeting innocent people everywhere," Abu Zaineb said. "They do not want the people to do their daily work. However, our message to the terrorists is that we will never give in to you, we will renovate our stores and bring back livelihood to our families."

Many Iraqi stores, companies, clubs, and restaurants have been exposed to terrorist attacks using bombs and mortars. Gunmen have kidnapped traders, store owners, and other entrepreneurs, killing them or holding them for ransom.

Baghdad restaurant owner Fakhri Hasan said these threats led many businesses and entertainment venues to close.

"In previous years, al-Qaeda and other armed groups committed major atrocities against the Iraqi people," Hasan said. "Each terrorist attack leaves behind victims and gross material damages and is aimed at disrupting and paralyzing the national economy and undermining people's sources of livelihood."

However, more businesses have re-opened their doors to customers recently, after Iraqi security forces took control of security in Iraqi cities.

"It is a life and death battle against terrorism," said Hasan. "We will continue to confront it until it is eliminated once and for all."

Mahama Khalil, an economic analyst and member of the Iraqi parliament, said terrorists are trying to achieve two goals by targeting businesses.

"First, to destabilise the state in general and disrupt the political, security, and social conditions therein, and, second, to strike the economy and derail the wheel of investment development," he said.

Khalil called for "intensifying efforts to prevent terrorist forces from executing their plans, especially as Iraq is today witnessing a revival in all fields and openness of foreign capital and investments".

"We are still at war with terrorism," said Lt. Gen. Ahmed al-Khafaji, undersecretary of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. "We have enough moral preparedness, preventive plans, and good armament to make us believe that our final victory over it is imminent, in spite of the security breaches that take place from time-to-time."

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