Slice of life: Iraqi public school students

January 17, 2004

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting article on one reporter's stay with a Baghdad family.

A year ago, the youngest children - twin girls Duha and Hibba, now 12 - and their youngest brother Mahmoud, often broke into pro-Hussein chants when they heard the president's name, as they had been taught at school.

But today, education couldn't be more different for the twins. In a school renovated by US forces and fitted out with new air conditioners and chairs, students have been told to put tape over Hussein's face on notebooks still printed with his image.

"The headmaster told us: 'This is the Saddam that everyone used to fear. He didn't even [have courage to] kill himself. He's trash,' " says Duha, fighting to get a word in among the rush of comments of her older siblings. "Before the war, the same headmaster used to hang up Saddam's picture!"

The headmaster now has a photo of an apprehended, bearded Hussein on his office wall that was circulated among students.

We have little doubt that the headmaster still rules the roost. But it seems he's now ruling it according to his own guidance, rather than the heavy hand of the State.

Teachers have promised a tour of palaces, and the twins can't wait. They say they "love" American soldiers, and were photographed by journalists a couple weeks ago, shaking hands with US troops at the site of a explosion nearby.

This sounds like a typical story from any American newspaper on an average day in the U.S.: "Teachers have promised a tour of the Smithsonian (or St. Louis Arch or Grand Canyon etc.), and the twins can't wait." School life has the same culture the world over.

The Iraqi siblings in the article love to debate the issues, and they argue about Saddam's place in history.

Such debates over Hussein today will determine his legacy as leader of Iraq. Amal says she loves history, and asked her teacher: "What will they read about Saddam in the future?" Her teacher answered: "History shows the good and the bad. It shows the facts."

Let us hope.