“Camminare rasente al muro”: l’ultima opera del poeta e scrittore Fabrizio Sani

'Camminare rasente al muro', (Walking close to the wall), is the latest work by poet and writer Fabrizio Sani, published by Edizioni Malamente in 2023. The young author, after years of experience in publishing and artistic and literary production, has ventured into the creation of a geopolitical essay with the aim of bringing to the public's attention a 'forgotten' country: Iraq. Through an accessible yet detail-rich book that also offers possibilities for further exploration, Sani addresses an uncomfortable subject: the current state of freedom of expression in Iraq twenty years after the American invasion. To achieve this, Sani becomes a conduit for all those voices of Iraqi activists, intellectuals, journalists, and experts, to try to represent as closely as possible the situation on the ground. Alongside an extensive specialist biography of reports of international analysts, the author employs numerous interviews that allow to give a face and dignity to the intellectuals killed in Iraq by the regime or by the multitude of regimes, as will emerge in the essay. To reach these considerations, the book begins with a necessary historical review that succinctly illustrates how Iraq came into being and its political evolutions over the years, starting from the British-controlled monarchy of Faysal I, the geopolitical and oil-related ambitions of its neighboring territories, the military coups, leading up to the advent of Saddam Hussein’s authoritarian leadership, supported by the ideological backing of the Ba’ath Party. Under Saddam's regime, Iraq was under a veritable police state, which can be summed up in the title phrase of the essay 'Camminare rasente al muro', which aptly illustrates how it must have been the state of freedom of thought and expression in the country. However, this condition worsened following the Gulf Wars: on one hand, after the invasion of Kuwait, Iraq was subjected to economic sanctions by the international community, which deeply impacted the (non)reconstruction of the country and its cultural production; on the other hand, the US invasion and subsequent occupation after the second Gulf War led to impoverishment across all aspects of the Middle Eastern country. The fall of Saddam Hussein, exemplified by the iconic televised toppling of his statue, it was the symbol of the end of an era and the beginning of a new, considerably more intricate and unstable in terms of security and politics. In fact, despite the new democratic constitution enshrining freedom of expression in clear terms, in practice, this fundamental right is compromised by the multitude of power centers existing in post-2003 Iraq. The author, in a critical and very lucid manner, highlights the faults of the 'coalition of the willing', marred by numerous shortcomings regarding the bad handling of the occupation and the lack of a medium-to-long-term project for a reconstruction of the country and the nation. Moreover, the instrumentalisation of the media, used to convey propagandistic messages and promote Americanisation of Iraq, has only fueled the anti-American rancor of public opinion, disillusioning the Iraqi people. American public opinion, disillusioned and disenchanted with the governments of the past years. The ruling class in power appear as a puppet in the hands of regional powers - primarily Iran - and the confessional militias that de facto monopolize force and draw invisible red lines that Iraqi citizens can cross at the risk of their own lives and those of their loved ones. This is the case of three Iraqi intellectual-activists to whom Sani has dedicated the third chapter of the essay: Hadi al Mahd, a radio speaker, Alaa Mashzoub, poet, and Hisham al Hashimi, an expert analyst of Islamic terrorism and militias. What do they have in common? All three were killed because they criticized the system, because they hoped for an Iraq that would provide justice and dignity equally, free from corruption, clientelism, the dominance of foreign powers, and militias. Militias that have stained themselves with the murder of hundreds of intellectuals who crossed the 'red line', confident that their crimes mostly go unpunished. As described in an exemplary manner by the author, militias are not an anti-system element, but a hybrid actor that colludes and competes with other power centers. The government, for the most part, is subservient to the power of militias and struggles to contain them: they are instead the religious and tribal leaders who wield greater authority and influence, and can limit its violent effects, always within the scope of its own interests. As analyzed in a dedicated chapter, the media are financed by politicians and militias, so they do not allow the dissemination of clear and free information. The only independent media are based outside of Iraq, as intellectuals and journalists in Iraq are targeted by this multitude of power centers. In conclusion, we can assert that the essay 'Camminare rasente al muro' is a necessary read to understand the state of freedom of expression in Iraq and beyond. Indeed, it has the great merit of bringing attention to a country whose dynamics are not narrated in mainstream media, especially Western ones – an emblematic case being the 'not so attentive' coverage of the October revolution that took place in 2019. A widespread protest movement in all major Iraqi cities, originating spontaneously from below, formed by young dreamers fighting to overcome sectarian and religious divisions, to build a new Iraq. Fabrizio Sani with this essay invites us not to turn away, not to remain indifferent in the face of suffering, pain, and injustices, but to act and engage. What can we do as ordinary citizens? We can learn, inform ourselves, and free ourselves from our orientalist stereotypes. Iraq is not only a land of conflicts and terrorists, but it has been the cradle of human civilization, born in Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers: only by nourishing this civilization through culture is it possible to restore dignity to humanity and to a people that has been tormented for decades. Sharing the stories of those who fight for their opinions is a first step.

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