Amr's ringtones don't come cheap

Texting, ring tones all the rage in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Beep, beep, beep. Then the text comes: "President Bush calls for a timetable for the withdrawal of the Iraqi people from Iraq." It's not a news update. It's Omar Abdul Kareem's relentlessly beeping cell phone - and one of the 20 or so humorous text messages he gets every day from his friends. In a city bereft of entertainment, text messaging and swapping ringtones are all the rage for young Iraqis trying to lighten their lives. Most restaurants, cafes and movies have closed due to the country's security situation ...

Competing with Saddam for the most popular song in Iraq today is Iraqi pop star Hossam al-Rassam - "Ma, I've been stung by a scorpion." Its sensual lyrics challenge widespread conservatism in Iraq by talking about a girl's lips and perfume "that make you live longer." Rasha Tareq, 23, has al-Rassam's ringtone, as well as dozens of others by Lebanese singers. The most expensive ringtones include songs by Egyptian pop star Amr Diab.
"Ah, well, Dad pays for all that," she said. Link