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What's Happening To The Iraqi Academics And Intellectuals?
Imam Abdul-Munim Younis, head of the translation department at Mosul University's College of Arts, was shot
dead by gunmen on 28 August 2004 while driving to work. She was not the first Iraqi intellectual to have been targetted by
unkown assailants.More than 250 academics have been killed in Iraq since the American occupation began according
to the Iraqi Union of University Lecturers.  The most striking fact is that the majority of those killed where not sciencists (thus targeted for the alleged knowledge
of Iraq’s weapon’s programme) but were involved in field of humanities (such as law, geography and history). The
motives for these assassinations are unknown. This ‘ War on Learning’, as Robert Fisk, a reporter in Iraq for the Independent called it, is making Iraqi intellectual’s work impossible
and further augments the view that a ‘normal life’ in Iraq is far too dangerous for them. According to an article
in the Times Higher Education Supplement: ‘there is a widespread feeling among the Iraqi academics
that they are witnessing a deliberate attempt to destroy intellectual life in Iraq’. Furthermore, quoting
Dr Sinawi – a geologist formerly employed at Baghdad University and interview by THES- the academic dismissals, the
assassination of intellectuals will bring a ‘disruption of higher education in Iraq for years to come. This will dramatically
affect the standard of teaching and research for generations’. Source: http://www.nearinternational.org/alerts/iraq320040915en.php
Many academics in Iraq are imprisoned, were discharged, have disappeared, or were forced into exile. This web page has been created to document these facts.
Here is an incomplete list of murdered Iraqi Academics
Further reading:
- Iraqi intellectuals under siege
Al Jazeera, 29 Febr 2004
- Iraqi intellectuals flee 'death squads'
Al Jazeera, 30 March 2004
- Death to those who dare to speak out
CS Monitor, 30 April 2004
- Iraqi intellectuals appeal for security
Al Jazeera, 19 May 2004
- "It has begun."
Dahr Jamail, 13 June 2004
- Where is this going?
Al Ahram, 16 June 2004
- Academics targeted as murder and mayhem hits Iraqi colleges
Robert Fisk, 14 July 2004
- The slaughter of Iraq's intellectuals
The New Statesman, 06 Sept 2004
- Iraq losing its best and brightest
CS Monitor, 21 Sept 2004
- IRAQ: Rising threat against academics fuels brain drain
IRIN news, 28 Oct 2004
- Joint Statement by MESA, AAUP, AAAS
05 Nov 2004
- A Sinister Campaign
11 Dec 2004
- Approximately 300 academics have been killed
17 Jan 2005
- The Destruction of Iraq’s Educational System under US Occupation
Ghali Hassan, 11 May 2005
- Iraq healers have become targets
IHT, 31 May 2005
- Medics fleeing Iraq's violence in their thousands
Reuters, 25 Sept 2005
- Everyone is a target in Iraq
Al Jazeera, 14 Oct 2005
- Guidelines Relating to the Eligibility of Iraqi Asylum-Seekers October 2005
UNHCR Report [PDF]
- Iraq’s Science Community: to be or not to be
- Who's killing Iraqi intellectuals?
03 Dec 2005
American Association of University Professors:
More than 250 Iraqi college professors assassinated
The International Coalition of Academics Against Occupation (ICAAO) has issued the following statement on the assassination
of Iraqi intellectuals (8/11/04):
Even after the ‘transfer of authority’ the U.S. Government remains in
de facto military occupation of Iraq. The idea that the escalation of violence can be put to an end by the ‘interim’
government, while 140,000 U.S troops remain in control of major Iraqi cities like Mosul and Baghdad, is far from the reality
on the ground.
Overlooked by the U.S. Press is the escalating assassination of Iraqi academics, intellectuals, and
lecturers. More than 250 college professors since April 30, 2003, according to the Iraqi Union of University Lecturers, have
been the targets of assassination. Among the 250 professors assassinated to date include: Muhammad al-Rawi, President of Baghdad
University (July 27, 2003); Dr. Abdul Latif al-Mayah a Professor of Political Science at Baghdad's Mustansiriya University
(late January 2003); Dr. Nafa Aboud, a Professor of Arabic Literature at the University of Baghdad; Dr Sabri al-Bayati; a
Geographer at the University of Baghdad; Dr. Falah al-Dulaimi, Assistant Dean of College at Mustansariya University; Dr. Hissam
Sharif, Department of History of the University of Baghdad; and Professor Wajih Mahjoub of the College of Physical Education.
Whoever is responsible for these targeted assassinations, the U.S. and its Coalition of Allies , all of them commanding
and controlling the ongoing de facto occupation of Iraq—bear an international responsibility and obligation to protect
civilians living under occupation and who are protected by the 4th Article of the Geneva Convention.
The Geneva Convention,
which the U.S. and others nations have signed without reservation, holds all occupying authorities responsible for the condition
pertaining to the lives of Iraqi intellectuals, professors, and civilians of all types, including the further undermining
of the already sanctioned and utterly destroyed system of education in Iraq. We, the undersigned, deplore the killing of professors,
intellectuals and other civilians, and urge a full Congressional investigation into the circumstances that led to the ongoing,
systematic and targeted assassination of Iraqi intellectual, academics, and professors. According to Union of Iraqi Lecturers,
if “the stream of assassinations” continues Iraqi Colleges and Universities will be left without a qualified teaching
staff.
Iraq’s Science Community: to be or not to be
British and American
scientists and academics assisted the birth of Iraq’s science community in the last century; can they help it now to
be born again?
Two international initiatives to help Iraqi scientists and academics to reconstruct their community
began two years ago. They were independent of each other. The first initiative was supported by American academic institutions
(see main text), the second by British counterparts. International Symposium on Higher Education in Iraq is an initiative
by a group of expatriate Iraqi academics working in UK. “We are following different avenues”, says Dr. Gahzi Derwish,
visiting professor of Surrey University and member of the Symposium Organising Committee. “Our aim is to explore the
needs of universities in Iraq, help to set their priorities and determine how best British Universities and other organizations
can help in restoring the once flourishing links between Iraq’s academic institutions and their correlatives in the
west”.
“Higher education has been the incubator of R&D in Iraq”, says Dr. Derwish, a veteran
scientist who obtained his PhD in chemistry from the University of London and held prestigious scientific posts in Iraq for
four decades. The public sector comprises 20 universities and 47 technical institutions with about 350,000 students and 18,000
academic staff. There are also 10 private sector higher education colleges with some 15,000 students.
The Symposium,
hosted last month by the University of Westminster in London, was attended by 170 academics, 20 of them presidents, assistant
presidents and deans of Iraqi universities. Abbas Al-Hussainy, Secretary General of the Symposium and senior lecturer at Westminster
University, said that they discussed with their British colleagues curriculum modernization, ways to establish higher education
policies and strategies that can effectively deal with the challenges of the reconstruction period. Parallel to the political
issues being debated in Iraq; special workshops in the Symposium were devoted to centralisation vs. de-centralisation, role
and regulation of private universities and radical rethinking of scientific research in line with national needs.
Beyond
discussing what needs to be done, some practical measures have already been taken since the first Symposium held in January
2004. Dr. Al-Hussainy said that several training workshops, research co-operations, and academic/scientific visits for Iraqis
were organised by a number of British universities (Birmingham, Nottingham, John Moor, Bangor, Westminster, Surrey, Cardiff,
Greenwich). The Association of Iraqi Academics in UK and a number of British universities have arranged donation of books
and scientific journals to Iraqi universities. The Association of British Publishers invited Iraqi university librarians to
attend the British Book Fair and to establish contacts with UK publishers. British and European universities offered scholarships
for MSc and PhD degrees to six Iraqi Universities. Furthermore, the British Council contributed six-month training courses
for seven academics under the Chevening Technology Enterprise Scholarship Programme.
Dr. Derwish points out that few
scholarships and training courses will not be sufficient to alleviate the tragic state engulfing Iraq’s science community.
A recent Report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Baghdad stated “Iraq’s university
laboratories suffered heavy damage during the US invasion two years ago and are desperately short of essential equipment and
chemicals needed to teach medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and several other science subjects. As a result, 15 students or more
have to share a single set of equipment during practical experiments, three times more than the internationally recommended
maximum of five”. University teachers grumble that thousands of graduates are being turned out every year short on practical
knowledge.
Iraqi scientists and academics are suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune as they face the
constant danger of assassination and kidnapping. According to Sami Mudhaffar, minister of Higher Education and Science Research,
54 Iraqi scientists and academics have been assassinated. In an interview to London based Arabic newspaper Ashahrq Alawsat,
Dr. Mudhaffar expressed his regret for accepting ministerial responsibility “only one of 14 reconstruction projects
ready for implementation has been carried out”. The reason, he said is the “halt of ministry expenditure”.
He added, “All the talk about international donations is an empty promise. Many of the 200 contracts and agreements
that were signed didn’t benefit the country. On the contrary they added more debts to an already heavily debited nation”.
M.A
H.A
Recent examples of killed Academics
August 5 2005
ل مصدر
في الجامعة المستنصرية
ان (مجهولين امطروا الدكتور زكي باكر سجر العاني
التدريسي في كلية الاداب
والدكتور هاشم عبد الامير
التدريسي في كلية
التربية بوابل من نيران
اسلحتهم خلال خروجهما
من بوابة الجامعة مما
ادي الي مصرعهما).علي
صعيد متصل اختطف مجهولون
الدكتور سمير يلدا معاون
عميد كلية الادارة والاقتصاد في الجامعة
يوم الاحد الماضي.وقال
المصدر ان (عملية الاختطاف
تمت امام بوابة
الجامعة من دون معرفة
اسباب الاختطاف ولا دوافع
الخاطفين وقد وجدت جثته
ملقية في احد
الشوارع اول امس).ويذكر
ان اكثر من 55 استاذا جامعيا
تم اغتيالهم خلال المدة التي اعقبت سقوط
النظام السابق حتي الان
الامر الذي دفع العديد
من اساتذة الجامعات الي مغادرة العراق.
Three university lecturers were assassinated by unknowns, by shooting.
The source from university of almustansiria university said that, some unknowns fired a flow of bullets, Dr Zaki Bakir Alaany,
the lecturer in college of literature and Dr Hashim Abdulameer, the lecturer in college education, while they were on their
way out from the university gate. On the other hand Dr Sameer Yelda was kidnapped from outside the gate of the university,
the day before yesterday. It is known that 55 university professors were assassinated after the fall of the past regeme; this
forced many university professors to leave IRAQ.
University Professor in Basrah is kidnapped
Reference:
Aliraqnew, 12/9/2005
Unknown armed group has kidnapped Dr professor Haithem Ooda, deputy head of chemical engineering department in the University
of Albasrah while he was on his way to office on Monday.
Eye witnesses said that unknown car has stopped the professor while he was on his way to the office, then three armed men
forced him to inter their car and took him to unknown direction. It is mentioned that university professors from Basrah city,
south of IRAQ were targets of assassinations, arresting and eliminating by armed groups linked with the incoming parties from
outside the borders together with US occupation.
University professors are worried from these accidents in the beginning of the new academic year.
2005-09-18 - 09:43:56
30 medical doctors were killed and 220 others were forced to immigrate abroad during the past period
Bahrain Gulf News 18-09-2005
مقتل
30 طبيبا عراقيا وإجبار
220 على الهجرة إلى الخارج
في الفترة الماضية
بغداد:
د. قيس العزاوي، خاص لأخبار
الخليج
Baghdad: Qais Alazzawy, specially for Gulf News
مع حادث استشهاد
الدكتور باسل عباس حسين
اختصاصي امراض القلب على
يد القوات الامريكية
في الخامس من الشهر الجاري
عن طريق الخطأ كما يقولون.. والكشف
عن سيارة مفخخة حاولت
تفجير مستشفى الكرامة،
اطلقت وزارة الصحة حملة
كبرى للحديث عن الاطباء
الذين يسقطون نتيجة واجبهم
الانساني والذين يتعرضون
للخطف وابتزاز عوائلهم
لدفع الفديات وكذلك نزيف
الاطباء الذين يغادرون
العراق نهائيا والذين
بلغ عددهم المئات. وقد
اشار الوكيل الاداري
في وزارة الصحة الدكتور
جليل الشمري الى ان
عدد الاطباء الذين استشهدوا
خلال الفترة الماضية
بلغ 30 طبيبا فيما بلغ عدد
الاطباء الذين تم تهجيرهم
واجبارهم بالقوة والتهديد
على السفر الى خارج العراق
اكثر من 220 طبيبا، ناهيك
عن أعداد المخطوفين.
وكانت وزارة التعليم العالي
قد اعلنت ان عدد المهاجرين
من اساتذة الجامعات تجاوز
ألفي استاذ مما دفع الوزارة
إلى غلق 152 فرعا تخصصيا في
ميدان الدراسات العليا
بينما تعج الاردن وسوريا بالاطباء
العراقيين الذين يبحثون
عن عمل الى درجة ان الحكومة
السورية افتتحت مؤخراً مستشفى
خاصا لاستقبال الاطباء
العراقيين الذين هاجروا
من بلدهم.
26س
After Dr Basil Abbas Husain, the hurt specialist was martyred
by the US forces on the fifth of this month, by mistake as they claimed…and the discovery of a car bomb which was about
to explode the Karame hospital; the ministry of health announced a campaign to speak about the doctors who were victimised
because of their human duties and who are exposed to kidnapping or forcing their families to pay ransoms also the number
of doctors who left the country for good became hundreds.
The deputy health minister Dr Jaleel Alshammary declared
that the martyred doctors so far are 30, whereas those who were forced to immigrate or threatened to immigrate abroad are
more than 220 medical doctor, in addition to those who were kidnapped. The ministry of high education announced that the number
of immigrated university professors are more than 2000 so far.
This obliged the ministry to close down 125 high degree
branches whereas Jordan and Syria became full of the Iraqi medical doctors who are looking for jobs, so the Syrian government
has opened a new hospital composed of the Iraqi doctors who immigrated from their own country.
The Dean of the college of political science in the University of Mousil was saved from assassination.
Dr Talal Aljaleely; the Dean of the political science college, and his son were saved from an attempt to assassinate them
by a group of armed men, after they opened fire of light weapons against them, in front of their house, which is located in
the university site, while they were about to leave out.
A medical source from the hospital of educational alzahrawy
hospital declared that Dr Aljaleely was shot in his back, while his son was shot in his leg. The source assured that their
state became stable after they received a surgical intervention.
12/09/2005
Dear Colleague
I would like to inform you of the sad news of the murder of Dr Wissam Al Hashimi in Baghdad in
August this year.
Ina Lil Allah Waina Elaehe Rageoun.
This is another Iraqi scientist killed in Baghdad by
the "organised criminal and or organised terrorists". Another number to be add to body count of civilian Iraqis since the
"Liberation" which now amounts of more than 1000 Doctors and University staff murdered and thousands of similar qualifications
who have been forced out of Iraq since the "liberation." The total death toll of civilian Iraqis ranges between 25,000-160,000
depending on your side of the political fence.
Dr Al Hashimy was until his murder the president of the Union of Arab
Geologists. He persevered in serving Iraq throughout his career and helped improve the co-operation between Geologists in
Arab countries. He organised several (GEOCOME) conference of the Arab Geologists Union under difficult conditions in several
Arab capitols, including Cairo, Baghdad, Amman, Beirut, etc. and he was planning another GEOCOME conference in Abu Dhabi in
early 2006.
Dr Wissam Al Hashimi is an internationally known experts in Carbonates, and he is well known for his important
contributions to dolomite and dedolmitisation in and outside Iraq. He was killed while he was preparing his last paper
"Porosities
Of Carbonate Reservoirs Of The Mesopotamian Basin: An Insight Into Their Origin" to be delivered in the AAPG International
Conference and Exhibition in Paris in the Wednesday 14/9/05 morning session.
He will be remembered by many Iraqi student
of Geology whom he supervised and or helped with their PhD and MSc projects.
Attached is an emotional letter from his
daughter Tara to Dr Sadooni.
If you are like me was thinking of attending the planned Iraqi Higher Education Conference
in Baghdad later this year or earlier next year, I would rethink again.
Regards,
M W IBRAHIM
Dear
Mr.Sadooni,
I am Tara Al-Hashimi the daughter of the late Dr. Wissam Al-Hashimi. I'd like to inform you that my father
(Dr. AL- Hashimi) has died. He was kidnapped early in the morning on the 24th Aug 2005 while going to work, his recent papers
were stolen. A ransom was given but unfortunately he was shoot twice in the head and died. May his soul rest in peace.
As his ID was taken from him it took us about 2 weeks to find his body in one of Baghdad's hospitals.
Lately he was very
busy preparing a paper that he was going to talk about it in a meeting in Paris, Unfortunately he will not be able to attend
the meeting. On behalf of myself and the family we would like that at least the abstract of his paper remains in the
meeting's agenda and to be lectured by someone else.
NB: please contact me as soon as possible
Regards
Tara
Al-Hashimi
University Professor was exposed
to armed assault
و كالة الاخبار
العراقية : : 2005-11-15 - 13:50:17
The Iraqi News Agency
افاد مصدر
في الشرطة العراقية
ان الدكتور جاسم محمد
عميد كلية الاداب في الجامعة
المستنصرية نجا من محاولة
اغتيال ادت الى مقتل سائقه
وتعرض العميد الى جروح
واشارات المصادر ان مسلحين مجهولين
هاجموا سيارة تعود الى
وزارة التعليم واطلقوا
النار عليها مما ادى الى مقتل
السائق في الحال واصابة
عميد الكلية بجروح خطيرة
نقل على اثرها الى المستشفى
Iraqi police source announced that Dr Jasim Mohammed the dean
of literature college of the university of al-mustansiria has escaped from an assassination attempt that caused the death
of his driver, while he was wounded. The sources has pointed out that unknown armed men had attacked a car belongs to the
ministry of high education, opening fire towards it, that lead to the killing of the car driver promptly and caused dangerous
injuries to the dean of the college, who was transferred to the hospital.
اغتيال
احد ابرز اخصائيي الامراض
الخبيثة في العراق
Assasination
of one of the distinguished specialists in malignant deseases
اغتال
مجهولون اليوم الدكتور
( سامي أيمن ) في داره الكائن غرب مدينة تكريت
، وافادت عائلة القتيل
بان مجموعة مسلحة قامت
بتطويق داره وقتله امام ابناءه قبل
ان تلوذ بالفرار ، يذكر
ان الدكتور ( سامي أيمن
) يعد من ابرز اخصائيي
الامراض المزمنة والخبيثة
Dr Sami Aymen was assassinated by unknowns in his house, that is located in the west of Tikreet city. The family of the
victim declared that a group of armed group had surrounded his house and killed him in front of his sons and escaped.
Dr Sami Aymen was one the distinguished specialists in the field of malignant and chronic diseases.
The Iraqi university staff had lost a new martyr, who was assassinated by gun men today, in the west of Baghdad. A spokesman
from the ministry of interior affairs said that, criminals attacked the martyred Saad Yaseen Al-Ansary, the professor in the
University of Baghdad, while he was driving his car in saydia district, accompanied by his wife, who was injured by the betrayal
bullets, then transported to the hospital. A source has mentioned a police man was martyred in the same district today, by
unknown criminals, while others had assassinated an engineer in al-ameen district, in addition to that, a dead body was found
with his hands bound together and his eyes wrapped in sulaik district, and then shot dead.
وزارة
التعليم تعلن اغتيال
ثلاثة علماء بجامعة بغداد
The ministry of high education announces, the assassination
of three scientists from the university of Baghdad
بغداد:
أعلنت وزارة التعليم
العالى والبحث العلمى
العراقية اغتيال
ثلاثة علماء واساتذة
يعملون فى جامعة بغداد
خلال الايام القليلة
الماضية . واصدرت
الوزارة بياناً جاء فيه
إن العلماء الذين اغتيلوا
هم الدكتور هيكل محمد الموسوى الاستاذ
فى كلية طب الكندى حيث
تم اغتياله فى منطقة الصليخ
الجديد بالعاصمة بغداد، والدكتور
سعد ياسين الانصارى الاستاذ
بكلية العلوم الذى اغتيل
اثناء خروجه من
منزله، بالاضافة إلى
الدكتوررعد محسن مطر
المولى رئيس قسم علوم
الحياة فى كلية العلوم حيث تم اغتياله
فى عيادته
Baghdad: The ministry of high education and scientific research had announced,
the assassination of three scientists and professors, working in the university of Baghdad, during the past few days. The
ministry has named the assassinates as; Dr Haikal Mohammed al-Moosawy, from the Kindy medical college, who was assassinated
in alsulaik district in Baghdad, and Dr Saad yaseen al-Ansary the professor from the college of science, who was assassinated
just outside his house, in addition to Dr Raad Muhsin Mutar al-Mawla, the head of the biological sciences in the college of
science, who was assassinated in his clinic.
غتيال
مساعد عميد كلية التربية
في الجامعة المستنصرية
24-11-2005
Assassination of the deputy head of the college of education in the
University of Al-Mustansria
غتال مسلحون
مجهولون مساء اليوم الاربعاء
مساعد عميد كلية
التربية في الجامعة
المستنصرية وسائقه. وقال
الرائد علي صالح من شرطة
بغداد"ان مسلحين
مجهولين هاجموا الدكتور
كاظم طلال حسين مساعد
عميد كلية التربية في
الجامعة المستنصرية
في الساعة السادسة من
مساء اليوم خلال تواحده
بمنطقة الصليخ شمال شرق بغداد فاردوه
قتيلا". واضاف المصدر ان
سائق الدكتور حسين لقي
حتفه في الهجوم ،مبينا ان المسلحين لاذوا
بالفرار بعد تنفيذ جريمتهم
Unknown armed men had assassinated the deputy head of the college of education
in the Al-Mustansiria University on Wednesday night and his car driver. Major Raed Ali Salih from Baghdad police declared
that; unknown armed men had attacked Dr kadhim talal husain the deputy dean of the college of education in the Al-Mustansiria
University; on 6pm tonight, while he was in Alsulaikh district, in the north east of Baghdad, and shot him dead. The source
added; that the car driver was shot dead in that attack as well, while the armed men had escaped after committing their crime.
Islamic memo (special): the Islamic memo correspondent in Al- Basra city , south of Iraq said that more than 20 medical
doctors and university professors, had received threats to be killed during the past two days, by unknowns
The correspondent
said that one of the distinguished heart surgeons in Al-Basra city received a written threat that says (get out of from Al-Basra
city or you will be killed), whereas another professor from the university of Al-Basra city said; that he found a paper on
Saturday morning saying (get out you dirty sunny, or you will be slaughtered like the camel)
Our correspondent said that
all the professors and medical doctors are thinking to flee from the city after the threats, that they described as serious,
accusing elements of Badr brigade, the military wing of the IRSC, islamii revolution supreme council, in Iraq, that is lead
by Abdul Azeez`Al-Hakeem.
It is mentioned that two of those who received the threats, were assassinated writhen the
past two days; namely Dr Saad Alrubaiee and the professor of the biological sciences in the college of science Dr Omer Fakhri
Source:
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