Back from his third trip to war-ravaged Iraq, Mike Miles is still inspired by the spirit of the people he met in the Middle Eastern country and at the same time enraged at what he sees as brutal abandonment committed by the United States. Speaking in front of a full group (or “the choir,” who weren’t strangers to these activist issues) on Mon., Feb.11, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis, Miles showed film clips and told the painful stories he gathered on his trip with peace group Voices in the Wilderness last month.

Miles, who has been active in various human rights causes for years, knew going at this time so close after Sept. 11 would be risky. When explaining the difficulty of making a trip now, he cited Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) who almost voted with Barbara Lee (D-CA) against immediate retaliation in Afghanistan. Lewis was 99 percent prepared to do the same (as reportedly several other representatives were), he said, but was overcome by “the fear of seeming soft on terrorism.” This ubiquitous climate of fear, said Miles, made groups like Voices in the Wilderness seem even more gutsy, inspiring and courageous.

Voices in the Wilderness is made up of teachers, social workers, authors, health care professionals, tradespeople, and church workers who travel to hospitals and clinics in Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul, breaking the siege imposed by the sanctions against trade with Iraq. Before each departure, they notify the U.S. Attorney General of their trip and invite their office to join us in conscientious objection to laws which themselves violate international law and basic human rights. The purpose of each trip is to be a witness, then be able to come back and educate people in the United States.
Since the Gulf War, a minimum of 450,000 people, mostly children, have died as a direct result of sanctions and a March 1999 U.N. report showed that Iraq has downshifted, experiencing “a shift from relative affluence to massive poverty.”

Like others who had recently traveled with Voices in the Wilderness, Miles was “more concerned about what would happen here” than in Iraq, since the United States had suddenly been thrust into the victim role—a role it was not accustomed to. And, turning another common response on its head, he told how a friend had said that the question for them was not “why do they hate us?” but, rather, “how can these people continue to accept us after everything we’ve done?’ Since we have been at war for eleven years, he said, they have good reason to be suspicious of us.
Miles reported the astounding acceptance he felt by people wherever he went in Iraq—in bars, in homes, on the street. Miles asked the group to imagine people coming from Iraq and how they would be accepted here.

Miles’ memorable moments in Iraq include talking with Iraq’s head of civilian defense. He broke down in tears talking about the bombing of the Amariyah bomb shelter (their version of 9/11) on Feb. 13, 1991. On that day, the U. S. Air Force unleashed an unprecedented massive assault, pointing two missiles from a stealth bomber against not a military target, but a civilian establishment, an air raid shelter. The conversation led Miles and his fellow visitors to ask to see a local fire station to compare the tools they have to those in the United States for dealing with catastrophe.

They spent a day at a children’s hospital, meeting kids and exchanging art they’d gotten from students in America with Iraqi children, and pouring over books of photos of babies born with horrible defects—their brain tissue outside of their skull was one of the worst of the central nervous system damage effects—caused by the United States’ use of controversial depleted uranium ammunition. Depleted uranium is a chemically toxic heavy metal that emits low-level radiation. At one hospital, a doctor noted that they have seen 250 babies with such defects, just in the past year. Also, mothers are not able to determine whether their babies will be deformed early enough to terminate their pregnancy. They don’t find out until seven or eight months into their pregnancy.

After the hospital, the group got to see the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra still bowing along, though sanctions have eliminated the possibility of getting supplies like resin and valve oil or even sheet music because no printed material is allowed in. Despite the conditions, including a 55-degree practice room, they still made beautiful music.

Miles also read touching letters from teens in Iraq, one sheepishly acknowledging that Americans may be afraid of him because of his name: Osama.

For more information on Voices in the Wilderness and sanctions in Iraq, see www.nonviolence.org/vitw.

Suburban World granted new life

The historic Suburban World Theater, located at 3022 Hennepin Ave. S., re-opened under new management with the goal of preserving a historical treasure. The management team, headed by Kim Bartmann of Bryant-Lake Bowl and Café Barbette, is hoping to merge cinema, concerts and other styles of performance with high quality food and drink that engages the community.

Originally opened in 1928 with the name of Granada Theater, the theater features stadium seating, which was ahead of its time when designed by local architect Jack Liebenberg. In fact, many movie theaters nowadays are just starting to incorporate stadium seating.

The interior of the theater still maintains many of its original characteristics. Stars and moving clouds decorate the ceiling, giving the illusion that there is no roof overhead. There are also the original stucco facades of balconies, statues and plants to enhance this illusion. In 1991 the Minneapolis City Council placed the theater on a list of historically significant buildings. The theater is the only surviving example of an atmospheric theater in the city and one of only a few that remain in the state.

The theater became known as the Suburban World in 1954 and at this time, a great deal of remodeling took place. Wrought iron doors were placed in front of the theater, and the lobby’s chandelier was replaced with more modern fixtures.

Over the past 74 years, the theater has been a venue for a variety of entertainment, including vaudeville performances, comedy shows and, more recently, sporting events.

The menu has a variety of gourmet foods, ranging from tapas and salads to sandwiches and seafood entrees.
Some of the more notable features of the Suburban World Theater include cabaret-type seating for 240, a beer and wine license, DVD playback deck, data projections capabilities, surround sound and availability for corporate and private events.

The management team includes: Nate Johnson, film curator; Bryon Gunsch, technical director; Simone Ahuja, business development; Dan Nycklemoe, artistic director; Jack Chaffee, executive chef; Kevin McLaughlin, marketing and publicity; Mary Lucia, music booker; Tracy Bygrave, operations manager and Kim Bartmann, owner.
“Fat Girl,” a film by Catherine Breillat, plays through Friday. For upcoming movies and their showtimes, call the theater’s movieline at 612-825-6688.