Human Rights Violation

A bunker in Al-Jadriya district in Baghdad is apparently used as a detention place by Interior Ministry. The Iraqi minister of interior, Bayan Jabr, claimed that using such buildings, like the bunker, because the country lacked adequate prisons. He claimed at a news conference that the detainees were some of the most dangerous criminal terrorists of various Arab nationalities. It is a pretext which takes different names to repress opponents and to tame people to accept such practices violating human rights.

What raises concerns is that disclosure of this bunker, and what takes place in it, came from the American troops. Jabr said that Gen. Casey visited him at his office to tell him about an information leak that torture acts are used in investigation by the Iraqi officers.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari said that he had been informed about the bunker by Undersecretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed bin Hili. In both statements a third side intervened to make the Iraqi government take on its responsibility to protect its own people. The Iraqi society, like the Mideast ones, does not perceive how tolerating human rights violation may rebound on its members. The civil community institutions run by Iraqis still do not understand their role in enhancing the standards of life in Iraq; and if there is any, there are lots of bedouin-tribal and religious traditions which hinder their work.

I believe that letting go of the Iraqis to meet human rights standards, will cause lot of chaos. Any Iraqi sectarian, political or religious party takes control of power oppresses its opponents. Later, the concept of opponents extends to include the whole people. For that, I'm totally convinced the international community must keep a close eye on the Iraqi government to protect the Iraqi people.

As an example is the promise made by Prime Minister Jafari to announce the results of an investigation he ordered in the case, of the bunker, within two weeks, but nothing is declared. For that I'd like to ask you, if you can, to write or email this post to any person or group which could put pressure on the Iraqi government to enforce human rights. As the 57th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approaches, try to participate in backing human rights by telling someone to keep pressure on the Iraqi government.

The urge made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights should be backed. It seems that the MNF have to stay in Iraq for some time to help in creating new collective mentality which respects human beings.

As a person belongs to the middle class, I can say that it is a class which has no means to seize power, at least in Iraq, since the Iraqi society glorifies guns and submits to any party which is militarily powerful. What we need for some time is a non-Iraqi rational, civilized, democratic power to support formation of new culture which respects man, helping this culture to take root in Iraq. The middle class has been crushed by Saddam regime and it is very essential to help it to grow again.