Maine’s Iraqi community celebrates collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime

WESTBROOK – Abbas Alhamdany knew Saddam Hussein’s regime was history when he saw ordinary Iraqis on television striking Saddam’s image with their shoes.

Alhamdany, an Iraqi immigrant who owns the Friendly Discount Store with his brother, reacted with jubilation Wednesday when he saw the people of Baghdad celebrate their apparent liberation from Saddam’s regime.

“It’s a big disrespect. In Iraqi culture you would rather die than have someone hit you with their shoes,” Alhamdany said. “When I saw that, I woke up my brother and said, ‘Saddam’s regime is over. He’s gone.”‘

The toppling of Baghdad by U.S. troops was a welcome sight for members of Maine’s small Iraqi immigrant community. The Iraqi-Americans say they know the war isn’t yet over, and that relatives could still be caught in the crossfire between U.S. troops and Iraqi forces still loyal to Saddam.

But based on what they saw Wednesday, they know the country is no longer under a dictator’s control.

“I’m so glad that all my people are coming to be free,” said Ali Al-Faisalawi, 33, of Portland. “I can see all my people standing up. If Saddam wanted to come back again, everybody would fight him.”

The end of Saddam’s reign is particularly emotional for Hamid Mayahi, 36, who said his brother was executed by the regime in 1979 for participating in a plot against Saddam.

Mayahi said most Iraqi families have lost someone, either in a war or to Saddam’s secret police. When he heard the news, Mayahi said he was reminded of the people who didn’t live to see the regime collapse.

“This was my father’s dream. This was my brother’s dream, this was his wish, to remove Saddam Hussein,” he said.