Letter to Obama

Historically, Arabic political poetry composed in regional vernaculars has been a powerful weapon, one used against colonial powers and corrupt Arab governments alike. Increasingly nowadays, however, vernacular poets are directing their fire at the international order, and gaining new audiences as a result of the ease with which their work circulates on the Internet. The Iraqi poet ‘Abbās Jījān has gained notoriety through his exploitation of this medium, in particular for his poems on the current political situation in Iraq. This article presents the text and translation of his latest and most famous poem, based on his Internet performance of it.