July 11, 2006
In Iraq, having the wrong ringtone can get you killed
In a very interesting article, TIME looks at how Iraqis are changing their identities to survive — and why just having the wrong first name, the wrong accent, praying a certain way or having the wrong political ringtone - can get you killed.
"It's indicative of the danger of daily life in Baghdad these days that the very basis of your identity can mark you for death.
Shi'ites and Sunnis share a common ethnicity and have a hard time telling themselves apart. And so the killers rely on a cruder vetting process: choosing victims based on their first name, which for many Iraqis is their only religiously distinguishing characteristic.
Websites like the Iraqi League offer survival technique for those in the line of fire.
They offer detailed tips on how Sunnis can pass themselves off as Shi'ites—like how to pray in public places (there are small differences between the Shi'ite and Sunni postures), or how to acquire a southern Iraqi accent (the majority of southerners are Shi'ite).
... And they are warned against using mujahedin anthems as ringtones on their cell phones, a practice common among sympathizers of the Sunni insurgency. There's also useful advice on how and where to get a fake ID."
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