In Baghdad, capital of Iraq, a bikers club of not-so-wild men, including Christians and Hezbollah fighters, seeing themselves as “family.” Not a bad model for the rest of the nation in a country at war. A very interesting article written by Jacob Siegel and published in The Daily Beast.
“Most members of the “The Iraq Bikers,” as the Baghdad motorcycle club is called, ride Hondas but prefer to call them Harleys. Some have just returned from fighting against the Islamic State, formerly ISIS, in Iraq’s north where the group is entrenched. The war is tightening around all of them, those just back from it and others waiting to join the battle. At home in Baghdad they take the time they have to get together and ride.
The Iraq Bikers usually meet once a week to socialize and ride around the city, but this past Friday was special. For one thing, it was Ramadan and a number of the bikers brought their children along so they could all break the fast together in a big outing at a local restaurant. It was also almost three weeks since one of their members was killed, shot outside of his home in Baghdad. If anyone knew who was responsible for the killing—whether it was ISIS, a Shia militia, Iraq’s security forces, or one of the country’s countless other groups capable of such violence—they weren’t saying. He was a friend and he was killed and would be missed, was all they’d say.
Like most biker groups, this one has a special way to honor a fallen member. But in Baghdad, where violent deaths are common and loss becomes routine, the club’s memorials have been stripped of ceremony. “Our ritual is very simple,” said the group’s leader, “Captain Bilal” al Bayati: “We don’t do any shows [group rides for a public audience] for three weeks and we visit with his family.” The mourning period is almost over; if it ends without anyone else being killed they will have a show next Friday. Catpain Bilal, also called “Chief” by the other Iraq Bikers, is the club’s 34-year-old founder. “I started the group two years ago. First it was just me, then two or three people joined,” Bilal said, “then two or three more. Then I went to different parts of Baghdad to find the right people. Not just anybody can join our group.” Qualifying, as an Iraq Biker has nothing to do with family background. “Our members are from every group: Sunni, Shia, Christian, Turcoman, Kurd.” There are no hazing rituals, no violent rites of getting jumped in. Continue reading ‘Bikers of Baghdad. Sunnis, Shias, Skulls, Harleys and Iraqi Flags.’
Monday, August 4, 2014 at Hot Rod Lake behind the Broken Spoke Campground at 5:00 p.m. Cycle Source Magazine will be holding a memorial in honor of Ross Tomas. Ross, the 20 year old son of Mike and Carolyn Tomas, owners of Kiwi Indian Motorcycles, was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 22, 2014 in his hometown of Riverside California.
