As a regular writer here, I came across a published article on one of the updates: 'Sex. Sex. Sex.' by rock.chick. As I opened it, I discovered this was a piece on what seemed to be a "young" girl's personal thoughts about the double standard of our Iraqi culture. As I finished reading I was quite appalled as to why a piece of writing so amateur and an article that I felt to be intentionally provocative was allowed to be published here. After discussing the piece with friends I discovered that many others felt the same. I decided to speak to the editors of the magazine. Asking them why they had accepted to publish an article on a subject so sensitive that I felt didn't really delve into the real issues behind the double standard of our culture on issues regarding sex, their response was "We are an independent media portal, we don't necessarily agree or disagree with articles on our magazine but we choose not to censor articles just because they are provocative or 'inappropriate' ". This seemed like a fair response from a magazine that drives itself to be a free and open medium for Iraqis to discuss whatever issues they wish to delve into. Instead they asked me to write a response to the article, which is what I chose to do.

I don't think there is a problem with discussing seemingly provocative and taboo issues. In fact, I think it's important that we discuss some of the issues that pain our communities in the West. However, I do have a problem with how they are discussed. I think that a writer when discussing sensitive issues does have a responsibility in trying to at least examine the issue to their best ability before concluding with something along the lines of 'Our sexuality is us, if we cant practice it, our moral decay is the end!' (This is the last line of Rock Chick's article sex, sex, sex). If that conclusion was supported by a premise of any sort I wouldn't have had a problem with the article. However, comparing our traditions and values to Western values and then resulting with that sort of a conclusion left me even more confused. Rock Chick is brave, she attempted to tackle an issue that many people would not feel appropriate to discuss. And I will admit however, that initially my personal opinion on Iraqis and 'sexual freedom' did influence my biased opinion of the article. Nevertheless, as someone who respects the freedom of writers and also someone who understands the complexities of censorship, my issues with Rock Chick's piece went a little deeper than that.

I understand the frustration for women and girls in our community, when men are not condoned for being sexual but when women and girls are condoned for simply falling in love. However, although I am not a traditionalist, I do have a problem with younger generations looking to the West for answers. There are many things that we can learn from the West, but yearning for the sexual freedom of the West is not something I believe will benefit our community or even at the end of the day benefit ones own personal interests. That is my own personal opinion. It is very easy to condone so many of our traditions and values for being 'backward' especially living in a culture that accuses our communities and our culture of such things. We are the savages. The uncivilized. The unblessed. We don't know what's best for us. These are the repetitive images and messages sent to us through Western media. We, have a lot to learn, but I choose not to acquire an understanding of messages sent to me through MTV.

Our society here in the West is consumed through a market of sex and materialism. Just take a look around. Sex is everywhere. On your billboards, in films, on music videos, on the internet, down the street, in retail stores. The only way the corporate world can make money is by placing an importance on sexual freedom. And unfortunately our youth buy into these ploys. A conspiracy theory you may say. That's what I used to think. I took a marketing class once at university. It was so disturbing for me to discover during class all the subconscious sexual references made in advertising in some of the largest brands of drinks, food, clothes, etc. Visual, textual and audio related allusions are on our television, radio, newspapers all on the road to tuning mentally numb pupils into a consumer culture of Eat, Sleep, Buy.

I will not impose my beliefs on anyone, and Rock Chick has every right to her own opinion and belief. I am continuously disappointed with Iraqi youth in the West who find so little in our culture and our beliefs. I feel the need to restate that thought, because it's very easy to condone value driven elements of your culture when living in a society that makes you feel different and awkward because of your association to your 'backward' culture.