ʻO ia kekahi o nā leo alakaʻi o ka mākaʻikaʻi Iraqi a me ka crusader o ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana i nā mea kahiko i hao ʻia a ʻaihue ʻia e like paha me kahi hana mahalo ʻole. Akā iā Bahaa Mayah, he misionari. He mikiona pōʻino ʻo ia i hoʻolaʻa ʻia a hiki i kona hoʻomaka ʻana e hoʻoikaika i ke koho balota aupuni e hiki mai ana.
Ua kamaʻilio mākou me Mayah i ka kipa ʻana i kona ʻohana ma Kanada ma mua koke o ka haʻalele ʻana i Bagdad i ka hoʻomaka ʻana o kāna hoʻolaha no kahi koho balota e hoʻohiki nei he koko a me ka acrimonious.
Ua haʻalele ʻo Mayah iā Iraq i ka makahiki 1970 no ka ʻāina ʻo Persian Gulf ma kahi o ʻehā mau makahiki i hala aku nei i ka wā he ʻōpio ʻōpio ma ke Kuhina Kūʻai ʻo Iraq. Ma hope ua noho ʻo ia ma ke kūlanakauhale ʻo Kanada ʻo Montréal.
Ma hope o ka hāʻule ʻana o ke kanaka ikaika o Iraqi ʻo Sadaam Hussein, ua hoʻi ʻo Mayah i kona ʻāina home e lilo i Kuhina Kuhina no ke Kuhina Kūʻai a me nā Antiquities o Iraq. Ua kau nui ʻo Mayah i kāna kauoha i kahi hoʻolaha e hoʻonui i ka ʻike honua i ka ʻaihue ʻōnaehana a me ka hao ʻana i nā waiwai archeological o Iraq ma hope o ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana o ka pūʻali koa US i ka ʻāina.
Ma hope o ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana o ʻAmelika iā Iraq, ua hao ʻia kekahi mau mea 15,000 mai ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike National Iraqi me nā kiʻi, nā kikokikona kahiko a me nā mea nani kahiko. ʻOiai ua loaʻa hou ka hapalua, ua ʻike ʻia kekahi ma ka mākeke honua. Ke manaʻoʻiʻo ʻia ua nalowale nā mea he 100,000 ma o ka hao wale ʻana i nā makahiki i hala.
I mea e kōkua ai i ka hooki ʻana i ka ʻaihue ʻana ʻo Mayah, ka mea i ʻōlelo i ka loaʻa kālā ʻole o kēia mau kūʻai ʻana i ke kālā hoʻoweliweli, ua kāhea ʻo ia no ka pāpā ʻana i ke kūʻai ʻana i nā relics archeological mai Iraq - e noi ana i ka UN Security Council. Ua waiho nui ʻia kāna mau kāhea ʻana me ka mālama ʻole ʻia.
A ʻoiai e kamaʻilio ana e pili ana i ka hoʻomohala ʻana i ka mākaʻikaʻi ma kahi ʻāina e pili ana i nā pilikia palekana paʻakikī, e noho mau ana kēia ʻāina i ka "cradle of civilization," ka home o kahi 12,000 archeological sites a me nā lāhui kahiko he nui. ʻO Iraq, i nā manawa maikaʻi aʻe, e lilo ia i wahi hotspot mākaʻikaʻi kūlohelohe.
ontheglobe.com: He aha nā pūnaewele koʻikoʻi ma Iraq no kahi mākaʻikaʻi e kipa aku ai? Pehea ka hiki ʻana o kēia mau pūnaewele?
Bahaa Mayah: He mea ʻē paha ke hoʻolaha nei mākou i ka mākaʻikaʻi i Iraq. I kēia manawa a ke kamaʻilio nui nei mākou e pili ana i ka mākaʻikaʻi hoʻomana. Kuhi ʻia kēia i nā kūlanakauhale hoʻomana nui e like me Najaf a me Kirbala, Baghdad a me Samara. Ua palekana kēia mau kūlanakauhale a hiki iā mākou ke ʻōlelo i ke kūlana palekana i ke ʻano maikaʻi loa. Ke hāpai nei mākou i kēia a loaʻa nā hopena maikaʻi a me ka loaʻa ʻana o ka holo mau o nā mākaʻikaʻi mai nā ʻāina e like me Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan a me Lebanona. Ua wehe mākou i kahi mokulele o Najaf i ka makahiki i hala, i ʻae ʻia i nā mokulele pololei mai kēlā mau ʻāina. Ua hauʻoli loa au i ka ʻike ʻana i ka noʻonoʻo ʻana o kēia ma ka hoʻokele waiwai ʻoiai ke ulu nei kēia mau kūlanakauhale a ua hoʻokumu ʻia nā manawa hana he nui. Hōʻike kēia ʻo ka mākaʻikaʻi kahi ala e hakakā ai i ka hoʻoweliweli. Ke loaʻa nā hana a nā kānaka a ulu ka hoʻokele waiwai a laila e emi ana ka hoʻoweliweli. Pono ke kaiāulu honua e kōkua i ka lawe ʻana i ka maluhia i Iraq. A laila, ʻike mākou i ke kahe ʻana o ka poʻe mākaʻikaʻi i ko mākou mau moʻomeheu a me nā wahi archeological.
He manawa e hoʻokō ai i kahi pae palekana ma mua o ka ʻike ʻana i ka ulu ʻana o ka mākaʻikaʻi ma Iraq. I ka manawa like ʻaʻole wau hauʻoli nui i ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana i nā ʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi ma Iraq. ʻAʻole ʻo ia ka ʻoiaʻiʻo o ka loaʻa ʻana o nā wahi archeological wale nō no ka mea ua loaʻa a hauʻoli ka poʻe mākaʻikaʻi i nā lawelawe i loaʻa ʻole iā mākou i kēia manawa, a ʻaʻole i loaʻa iā lākou ka manaʻo piha o ke aupuni e hoʻomohala i kēia mau mea koʻikoʻi e loaʻa ai kahi ʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi holomua.
ontheglobe.com: Hiki iā mākou ke kamaʻilio e pili ana i nā pūnaewele kikoʻī?
Bahaa Mayah: ʻO kekahi o nā pūnaewele i hiki ke hoʻomohala ʻia i ka wā pōkole ʻo ia ke kūlanakauhale ʻo Babulona. He wahi palekana kahi e hiki ai iā mākou ke hoʻomohala i nā hana mākaʻikaʻi. ʻO nā wahi o ʻUra a me Nazaria he mea palekana loa. Hiki ke kūkulu ʻia kekahi ʻano hana mākaʻikaʻi ma laila. Akā, pono kēia i nā kumuwaiwai i loaʻa ʻole iā mākou.
ontheglobe.com: Ke kamaʻilio nei mākou no ka nele o nā alanui, nā hale kūʻai souvenir; a i ʻole ke kamaʻilio wale nei mākou e pili ana i ka palekana kumu?
Bahaa Mayah: Aia nā alanui a me nā ʻoihana o ka halihali, akā nele mākou i nā hōkele, nā kānaka i aʻo ʻia a me nā mana kanaka, nā alakaʻi a i ʻole nā hale ʻaina a i ʻole nā hōkele. No ka laʻana ma Nazaria hoʻokahi wale nō hōkele a mākou e noʻonoʻo pono ai. ʻAʻole lawa! ʻO kahi hōkele liʻiliʻi he kanalima a he kanaono paha lumi, ua like ia me ka hōkele hōkū ʻehā. Pono mākou i nā mea hou aku i mea e hoʻomohala ai i ka mākaʻikaʻi ma nā kūlanakauhale ʻē aʻe. Ma Babulona ʻaʻohe hale hōkele. ʻO ka hōkele hoʻokahi wale nō he hōkele hōkū ʻelima i kēia manawa ua noho ʻia e nā pūʻali koa honua. Pono lākou e haʻalele i kēia kahua i kekahi manawa koke. Akā, i mea e hoʻihoʻi mai ai i kona kūlana mua o kahi hōkele hōkū ʻelima, pono ʻoe i ka manpower a me nā kumuwaiwai.
ontheglobe.com: Ua ʻike mākou ua hoʻohana ʻia ʻo Babulona ma ke ʻano he kahua kaua e nā pūʻali hoʻouka kaua. He aha ke ʻano o ka pōʻino i loaʻa?
Bahaa Mayah: ʻO ka mea pōʻino, ua hoʻohana ʻia ʻo Babulona ma ke ʻano he kahua kaua e nā pūʻali koa ʻAmelika a me Polani. ʻO ia kekahi o nā pōʻino a hoʻomaka ma hope o ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana o 2003. Ke mālama ʻia nei ka pōʻino e kahi komite kūikawā o UNESCO. Ua ʻike mākou i ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā mea hana koʻikoʻi e like me ka pūʻali koa kaumaha. Ua hopena kēia i nā pōʻino o ka pūnaewele aʻu i manaʻo ai ʻo ia kekahi o nā pōʻino nui loa ma muli o ke kaua.
ontheglobe.com: Ke kākoʻo nei ke aupuni US i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana i ka pūnaewele?
Bahaa Mayah: Ua hoʻohiki lākou e kōkua. Ua ʻike lākou ma hope o kekahi manawa ma hope o kēia hanana i ko lākou kuhihewa. Ua mākaukau lākou a ke hoʻāʻo nei lākou e kōkua. He ala ia e kala mai ai.
ontheglobe.com: E hoʻihoʻi iā mākou i ka makahiki 2003 i ka wā i komo mua ai nā pūʻali koa ʻAmelika i kou ʻāina. Ua hao ʻia kekahi mau mea moʻomeheu 15,000 mai ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Baghdad. Ua pale ʻia ka ʻoihana ʻaila a ua ʻike ka poʻe he nui i ka hoʻohenehene i kēia. He nui ka poʻe i ʻike i kēia ka hoʻomaka ʻana o nā pilikia ma ke kahua o ka archeology ma Iraq.
ʻAʻole lawe mai ʻo Bahaa Mayah Wars i ka pōmaikaʻi i kekahi lāhui, akā lawe mai ia i ka luku. ʻO ka hewa i hana ʻia ma ka hale hōʻikeʻike Iraqi i ka hāʻule ʻana o ke aupuni i ʻApelila o 2003 ʻo ia kekahi o nā pōʻino nui loa i ko mākou lāhui. ʻAʻohe o mākou hewa akā ʻo ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa a me nā pūʻali i komo i Iraq i kēlā manawa. Pono lākou e hoʻomanaʻo ua loaʻa iā lākou nā ʻōlelo aʻo mua mai nā archeologists mai nā wahi a puni o ka honua e mālama lākou i ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Iraqi. ʻAʻole lākou i hana i kekahi mea i kēlā manawa a ua ʻae lākou i ka poʻe e hao i kahi hale hōʻikeʻike. Ma kahi o 15,000 mau mea i hao ʻia, ʻo ka hapalua o ia mea i hiki iā mākou ke hoʻōla. ʻO ka hapa ʻē aʻe e lana ana a puni ka honua a ke alo nei mākou i ka launa ʻole ʻana mai nā lāhui he nui i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana iā lākou, a ua komo wau i nā lāhui komohana. Lawe kēia i ke kuleana o nā ʻāina hoʻouka kaua e kōkua iā Iraq i ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana a me ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana i nā mea i hao ʻia.
ontheglobe.com: He aha kāu papa manawa no ka hoʻihoʻi ʻana i ka mākaʻikaʻi lehulehu i Iraq a me kāna mau wahi archeological?
Bahaa Mayah: ʻAʻole wau makemake e wikiwiki i nā mea ma Iraq e pili ana i ka ʻoihana mākaʻikaʻi no kā mākou moʻomeheu a me nā wahi archeological ke ʻole mākou e mālama i ka palekana o ka poʻe mākaʻikaʻi e hele mai ana i Iraq. ʻAʻole au e hoʻolaha i kēia ʻano mākaʻikaʻi ke ʻole wau e manaʻo ma ke ʻano he aupuni, nā pūʻali palekana a me nā ʻōnaehana ua mākaukau mākou e hoʻokipa i nā mākaʻikaʻi - aia wale nō wau e hana ai i nā mea āpau e hoʻolaha i kēia ʻano huakaʻi i Iraq.
ontheglobe.com: Ua ʻoi aku kou manaʻolana i kēia lā ma mua o hoʻokahi makahiki i hala?
Bahaa Mayah: Manaʻo wau ua nīnau ʻoe iaʻu ma hope o ke koho balota e hiki mai ana. ʻO ke koho balota e hiki mai ana ka mea nui loa o ka wā i hala a me ka wā e hiki mai ana o Iraq. ʻO kēia ka mea e hoʻoholo ai i ka hopena o kēia lāhui: ʻo wai ka mea e hoʻomalu iā Iraq a ma kahi e lawe ʻia ai ka ʻāina. Ke holo nei wau iaʻu iho i kēia koho balota a pono wau e hoʻomaka i kaʻu hoʻolaha i koʻu hoʻi ʻana i Iraq. ʻOiaʻiʻo, makemake wau e lanakila wau e hōʻoia wau e lawe wau i kēia pukana o ka archeology a me ka mākaʻikaʻi ma Iraq e like me kaʻu hiki mai kaʻu pou e hiki mai ana. I ka ʻōlelo ʻana he paʻakikī loa ka wā i hala.
ʻO ka hoʻokele moʻomeheu ma Montreal ʻo Andrew Princz ka hoʻoponopono o ka puka huakaʻi ontheglobe.com. Ua komo ʻo ia i loko o ka nūpepa, ka hoʻomaopopo ʻana i ka ʻāina, ka hoʻolaha hoʻokipa a me nā papahana moʻomeheu a puni ka honua. Ua huakaʻi ʻo ia i kanalima mau ʻāina a puni ka hona o ka honua; mai Nigeria a Ecuador; ʻO Kazakhstan i India. Ke neʻe mau nei ʻo ia, e ʻimi nei i nā manawa kūpono e launa pū me nā moʻomeheu a me nā kaiāulu hou.
He aha e lawe ʻia mai kēia ʻatikala:
- It is not the fact of having archeological sites alone because tourists have and enjoy services that we do not have yet, and they do not yet fully have the attention of the government to develop these elements that are important to have a successful tourism industry.
- Ua kamaʻilio mākou me Mayah i ka kipa ʻana i kona ʻohana ma Kanada ma mua koke o ka haʻalele ʻana i Bagdad i ka hoʻomaka ʻana o kāna hoʻolaha no kahi koho balota e hoʻohiki nei he koko a me ka acrimonious.
- Mayah focused much of his mandate to a campaign to raise international awareness of the systematic looting and pillaging of Iraq’s archeological treasures in the aftermath of the US military invasion of the country.
