In Search of a Better Future for Their Country, Iraqi Students Visit Model United Nations
Iraqi Students Brave Sunni Triangle for NYC
Tony Azios
Issue date: 4/13/05 Section: News
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Jewad refers to the alleged 20 percent who oppose Saddam's overthrow and who want to return to the old regime as "those who oppose democracy and peace." But he says the militias' efforts to stop the election through car bombs and assassinations could not stop the majority of Iraqis who are ready to move on. He says this could be seen around the world on election day when magazines and newspapers showed pictures of Iraqis with black ink on their fingers, indicating that they had voted. Sattar, quoting the president of the Iraqi Institute for Democratic Development, said, "The little dot of ink on our fingers is going to be the bullet that kills anyone who opposes democracy, and their militias. He said to me personally, `I see that the ink is black, but the truth is light, and they will soon do away with the evil.'"
The five Iraqi students speaking are all well-educated in philosophy and religion at the collegiate level, so their interests and opinions likely differ from those of many others in impoverished Iraq. This particular group is opposed to the notion of clan and sect rivalry often blamed for much of the violence and political resistance in Iraq. They profess to follow a philosophy of openness and acceptance, where Sunni and Shiite divisions should not matter. They believe that with the progression of society, religion must change with it, and that religious differences should not distract from the fact we are all people. Alkaaby said, "We have all taken an oath saying that whenever people ask what religion we are, we will simply say we are human. And that will be our passport."
Jewad, speaking in English, said, "The Iraqi people want peace, and we put our hand out to everyone who wants peace and freedom and human rights. It is important for Iraq to make a bridge between every human. We need to have communication with other countries and other communities. Democracy is a new tool in Iraq. We need to better understand this and explain this. That is why we [came to the Model UN], to explain what we need, like democracy and freedom. I think that people from the U.S.A. are good people. I want to say to all families who sent their children to Iraq, thank you very much. And if he was killed in Iraq, his blood I put in my [memory]. And I think that the tree of democracy in my country grows very big."
This article was made possible by the aid of Nathan Leroy Pheniere and Defne Sarsilmez, who served as translators and helped to organize this interview.
The five Iraqi students speaking are all well-educated in philosophy and religion at the collegiate level, so their interests and opinions likely differ from those of many others in impoverished Iraq. This particular group is opposed to the notion of clan and sect rivalry often blamed for much of the violence and political resistance in Iraq. They profess to follow a philosophy of openness and acceptance, where Sunni and Shiite divisions should not matter. They believe that with the progression of society, religion must change with it, and that religious differences should not distract from the fact we are all people. Alkaaby said, "We have all taken an oath saying that whenever people ask what religion we are, we will simply say we are human. And that will be our passport."
Jewad, speaking in English, said, "The Iraqi people want peace, and we put our hand out to everyone who wants peace and freedom and human rights. It is important for Iraq to make a bridge between every human. We need to have communication with other countries and other communities. Democracy is a new tool in Iraq. We need to better understand this and explain this. That is why we [came to the Model UN], to explain what we need, like democracy and freedom. I think that people from the U.S.A. are good people. I want to say to all families who sent their children to Iraq, thank you very much. And if he was killed in Iraq, his blood I put in my [memory]. And I think that the tree of democracy in my country grows very big."
This article was made possible by the aid of Nathan Leroy Pheniere and Defne Sarsilmez, who served as translators and helped to organize this interview.