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29 Apr 2010 16:12:51
Human rights and the importance of democratic rule came under discussion when Iraqi refugee May Witwit shared her life experiences with a group of University Law students.
May, who has documented her life under Saddam Hussein’s regime and in post-invasion Iraq in a book (Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad) published earlier this year, was addressing the students as part of activities organised by the School of Law during Human Rights Awareness Week.
A former English lecturer in Baghdad, May recounted how she met Saddam in person on one occasion when she wished to transfer university and how as Iraq descended into anarchy she was targeted by kidnappers and risked being beaten for not covering her hair in society. Like all Iraqis, she also lived with the daily privations of electricity cuts, food shortages and a curfew.
“Iraq has never experienced human rights in the sense that you have them here [in the UK],” May told the students.
“Under Saddam Hussein there were taboos; women were not supposed to wear trousers, for instance, and in education the curriculum was imposed and all colleges taught the same topics in the same way. But as long as you did not cross these red lines you could continue with your life. Now, after seven years of ‘democratisation’, I believe there are no human rights in Iraq, there is no democracy.”
The students were noticeably shocked to hear from May that as factional violence increased in the country in 2005-06 her neighbourhood became a “dumping ground” for murdered bodies and one corpse lay undisturbed for three days amid fear of sniper attacks. May and her husband fled Iraq via Jordan in 2008 with the help of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) coming to Luton on a student visa to continue her PhD studies.
During a question and answer session the group discussed the media’s coverage of the war in Iraq, the place of women living in an Islamic society and the possibility of increasing democracy in a rebuilt Iraq.
Speaking afterwards, several students said the talk had opened their eyes to the realities of daily life for ordinary Iraqis. One said: “It was really good to finally hear a first-hand account of the devastation caused by the war. I hope May will be able to share her moving experiences with many more people in this country.”
Dr Anicée Van Engeland-Nourai, Reader in International Law, who organised the event explained that she wanted students to appreciate that human rights is more than a concept in a text book.
“This class was actually the conclusion to a year-long process and in this final week I wanted to introduce students to the more ‘emotional’ aspect of human rights, far from theories and discourses, so that they could feel human rights in their guts.”
During the week, students also watched several short documentaries about human rights and debated the issue.
Latest news» 2010» April» Students get a life lesson in human rights
