A Tragic Tigris Fish Story

Somehow, though, I don’t think anyone will be bragging about it.

As noted here by the Times of London, Imams in Iraq have issued a fatwa on carp caught in the Tigris river. The reason is because the fish is considered unclean now, seeing as how it has to coexist in the river with so many dead bodies.

“I still like to eat fish once a week, but it is not quite the same as before,” said Ali, a regular customer, who stopped by Abu Ayyad’s stall yesterday to select a fish for cooking and then returned later to pick it up for his family’s lunch. “We have only been eating farmed fish for the past year.”

The traditional recipe (masgouf) has been prepared in Baghdad for centuries. In happier times the fishermen would bring their boats up along the banks and prepare brushwood fires. The fish would be cleaned, gutted and cut down the back to form a circle and then grilled upright against an open fire.

Whole families would sit out in the cool of the evening and consume masgouf with bread and salads. To this day masgouf is still prepared by Iraqi exiles, including members of the once-vibrant Jewish community, who were forced out of the country half a century ago.

But, like in so many parts of modern Iraq, the conflict has destroyed the old traditions. The once-popular stretch of river, known as Abu Nawas, where masgouf restaurants were open late into the night is a no-go area these days for vehicles and most pedestrians.

I’m sure Dick Cheney is cracking another crooked smile over this one, seeing that he has helped inflict such damage on marine life both here and halfway around the world.