Independent Views

Interview with Dr. Sawsan Al Sammir, Baghdad April 2004

Dr. Al-Samer is the head of English language department at the Mustansaria university of Baghdad, and daughter of the well know progressive thinker and ex-minister of guidance of the 1958 revolution, the late Faisal Al-Samer

IDAO: One year has passed since the beginning of the occupation of Iraq which ended the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein regime. In your opinion, what are the real problems the Iraqi people are facing, and has the occupation been able to solve them?

Al-Samer: The biggest problem we are facing is itself the occupation of Iraq. An occupation that has brought with it a series of abuses to our basic rights that has passed all the red lines. The justification for war and occupation which were promises to bring freedom, democracy and the return of national sovereignty to a peaceful and stable country were never fulfilled..

The Occupation has created serious problems. By, for instance, the dissolving of the Information Ministry, the Iraqi army and other institutions, creating large scale unemployment that has certainly inflamed the violence, fighting and bombings, especially since most of those who were part of the now disbanded army posses weapons and were trained to use them during previous wars. This has in turn had led to a bigger problem: the loss of any semblance of security and stability. On top of that, there exists widespread popular outrage at the indifference of the occupying forces to the basic problems of continued daily electricity cuts, lack of water supplies, the broken promises to rebuild what was destroyed during the war and the non provision of jobs. So pessimism grew and optimism diminished from the daily life of the Iraqi individual.

IDAO:In particular what are the problems facing the Iraqi higher education system?

Al-Samer: Problems facing the higher education are: feelings of insecurity even inside the university campus itself as a result of the security breakdown. There is now a possibility of students attacking their teachers or harassing them if they were to fail their exams, and there is no national authority to guarantee our security. The Ministry of Higher Education took no notice of such problems; on the contrary, it contributed to them by reinstating all failed students for the incoming academic year including the higher education students. This Ministry is contributing to the disregard for the achievement levels of academic and higher education institutions, and therefore a disregard and disrespect towards university teachers. This is the policy the previous regime was pursuing and its practices. The other problem is the destruction, looting and theft Iraqi universities were subjected to during the war and were still suffering from while the occupation forces and the Governing Council could do nothing to rehabilitate universities by providing essential means such as laboratories, computers, furniture and other essentials such as books and sources. These problems will lead to a downgrading of our previously strong scientific departments if they are not tackled effectively. The Higher Education Ministry is accepting huge number of new students in all departments which is much higher than the intake capacity and which is not in line with annual plans of the various college departments at the universities. This will surely lead to the overall deterioration of teaching standards.

IDAO:What in your opinion is the stance of the educated classes and others towards the occupation. Did they accept and trust their plans for the Transitional Administrative Law? What is the opinion of Iraqis towards the positions taken by some political parties including Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani with regards to the illegitimacy of the Transitional Administrative Law and the need to hold direct elections as soon as possible to elect a national Iraqi government?

Al-Samer:The educated classes along with all Iraqis reject the occupation and has no trust in its plans for the transitional law because this law allows holders of two nationalities to enter Iraq, which is frightening. Zionist infiltration into Iraq would be possible and through the privatization law, they would be able to buy properties and estates that can turn Iraq into another Palestine. The general opinion is that the mask has been removed from the face of the occupation authority. Many of the henchmen of the previous regime have reappeared on the scene and were not brought to justice. Meanwhile, Saddam and others from his circle are in other countries and will never justly be put on trial undermining our appeals for justice.

The working classes were hopeful after their liberation from the previous regime's atrocities and tyranny that they would be rewarded after the injustice, oppression, terror and suppression. They waited months, now a year of occupation, and they have not seen any positive developments in any aspect of life not even in the reconstruction after the destruction that resulted from the war. There are attempts to ignite sectarian fighting, the presence of armed gangs, abductions, burglaries and theft. The occupation authorities and the governing council did not fulfill their promises. No one has enjoyed freedom or democracy. They are treated all as enemies, shot at and bombed indiscriminately under the pretext of the "war on terrorism".

All, or let us say the majority, agree with Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani on the need to hold free elections to choose a new government. Iraqis must govern themselves. Election will be possible under the supervision of the UN and the Arab League, but later each candidate put forward his program clearly so that the people know who they are electing There is a need to create channels for dialogue amongst the existing parties on the Iraqi political arena and we should not depend on the Governing Council to stay in touch with the Iraqi street's pulse. After decades of oppression and suffering it is right for the Iraqi people to choose a national government that will come out with an appropriate and well worked out constitution, that will endeavor to reconstruct a free, democratic and progressive homeland, and that will build a proper society based on the right foundations, enjoy its national wealth and live prosperous and dignified life.

IDAO:Do you believe that there is a support for the establishment of a wide national union for democracy, peace, security and an end to occupation?

Al-Samer: The ideal solution for Iraq is to put an end to sectarian, ethnic and political infighting and establish a national coalition amongst all political forces that believe in the homeland and its people to realize prosperity, progress, stability, security, peace and democracy to enable Iraq to defeat occupation and enjoy sovereignty.

IDAO:What in your opinion are the components of a national programme that would secure the rights of all national and ethnic sections among the Iraqi people?

Al-Samer: What would secures the rights of all Iraqis, is a national sovereign government that would reject occupation and one whose priorities would be to maintain Iraq's unity and its legitimate interests and to protect the Iraqi people's rights in freedom, stability and prosperity and to endeavor to come out with a clear constitution.

IDAO:What are the real dangers facing the Iraqi people?

Al-Samer: The basic dangers facing the Iraqi people are a continued occupation, the fragmentation of national unity, the infiltration of Zionists and extremists from across the borders, dragging the people into struggles that lead to nothing, a disregard for the natural resources , robbing Iraq of its national identity and its deep rooted civilization, and the distortion of its social fabric.

IDAO:Any more comments you believe are relevant?

Al-Samer: Following the end of occupation and the realization of sovereignty, nothing can prevent us from cooperating with all states, including those which took part in the war against Iraq and its occupation on the condition that they prove their sincerity by withdrawing all their forces from Iraqi territories following its reconstruction, provide compensation to the Iraqi people for the war damages and what followed the end of the war, fulfill their claimed promises and put on trial the enemies of the Iraqi people. Such states are on equal footing with other friendly states of the world that have right to invest and to participate in a political, cultural, commercial and economic cooperation that serves the right common interests.

Iraqis were happy to witness the end of the previous regime, but the mistake of the occupying authority was that they did not plan for what would follow the collapse of the regime. They did not even attempt to understand the nature of the Iraqi individual. The other mistake was that the occupation authority did not attempt to do anything positive in Iraq which turned the majority against them. We are supposed to wait till after 30/6/2004, the date set for the hand over authority to the Iraqis, to see their sincerity towards us in handing over authority and sovereignty (there is no sovereignty under occupation) or in choosing representatives for the incoming government.