"We All Just Want to Leave"
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Abu Alaa, a doctor whose mother is Iraqi and whose father is Palestinian, said he had recently been threatened by another doctor after objecting to the Iraqi military's habit of coming into his hospital and abusing insurgents who had been brought in for medical treatment.
"He told me, "Keep your mouth shut. You're not Iraqi,'" Abu Alaa said.
Palestinians in Baladiyat argue that the extent of Saddam's patronage has been overstated, and that under the old regime, their rights were no more secure than those of other Iraqis. Among other things, they could not own property or register cars, and often had to renew their residency monthly even if they had been in the country for years, remaining refugees whose status was constantly uncertain.
Palestinians have seen that uncertainty grow under the new regime under the new regime. The current government recently nullified a law, passed by Saddam shortly before the invasion, which granted citizenship to Palestinians who had been living in Iraq for more than ten years. Many Palestinians are now served with deportation papers when they show up at the residency office to renew their visas, despite the fact that neighboring countries often won't accept them.
Abu Oula received his deportation papers months ago, and says that efforts to convince Iraq's neighbors to welcome Palestinian refugees have been extremely difficult.
"We have met many officials and reporters, but it has been worthless," he said. "I just wish I could have a passport."
A few weeks after Abu Oula said this, however, a new possibility opened up. Since Hamas has taken over the Palestinian government, the Palestinian Authority's embassy in Baghdad has started allowing Palestinians in Iraq to register for passports for the first time.
"Before, [the PA's embassy] was an embassy in name only," Abu Mohamed says. "Fatah did nothing for us."
But other Palestinians aren't waiting for the passports and are still planning trips to Jordan and Syria. The Syrian government, which is usually considered the friendliest towards Palestinian refugees, recently issued a statement saying it would allow Palestinians to enter without first securing visas. But Palestinians in Baghdad are now afraid that the Iraqi government will not issue them exit visas, which are necessary for anyone leaving Iraq.
"One of our contacts in the residency office [where exit visas are obtained] told us not to bother, that they would not be issued," Abu Oulasaid.
"The situation is miserable. We all just want to leave."
David Enders is author of Baghdad Bulletin: Dispatches on the American Occupation.
