Saddam: The Modern Day Saladin

Saddam: The Modern Day Saladin

Iraq recently marked the 9th anniversary of the declaration of 'The Faith C=
ampaign,' whose main goal is "to educate a generation that believes in Alla=
h, loves its country and believes in the Arab nation, its mission, and goal=
s."(1)

On this occasion, the pro-Iraqi daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi published an analysi=
s from its correspondent in Baghdad in which it said that Saddam "elected t=
o seek refuge in Islam against the radical movements that swept numerous Ar=
ab societies… even if such a move angered the secular Ba'ath party … Ac=
cording to experts, in 1991 the Iraqi authorities tried to hide behind Isla=
m in order to avoid new tremors, especially since they faced a Shi'a uprisi=
ng in the south an a Kurdish one in the north during the second Gulf War…=
In 'The Faith Campaign,' the rank and file of the Ba'ath party had to go b=
ack to the classrooms to learn Islamic doctrines. Islamic universities were=
established as well as special radio stations that broadcast the Koran. Ba=
rs closed down, and restaurants were barred from serving alcoholic beverage=
s… Imams at the mosques… hail the Iraqi president and describe him as a=
modern day Saladin… The Imam of one of the largest mosques in Baghdad sa=
id that people!
are convinced that the U.S. is launching a crusade against the Iraqis and =
Muslims, therefore they are defending their religion [by fighting back]…"=
(2)

The Iraqi 'Day of Martyrdom'

On December 1st, Iraq marked 'The Day of the Martyr'. On this occasion the =
Iraqi press published poems and articles glorifying martyrs and martyrdom. =
Al-Jumhuriya daily published an article titled "Martyrdom is a Will and a C=
hoice" in which it said that: "…Martyrdom had a special essence in Islami=
c and Arab history and the martyrs had a great status in the eyes of Allah,=
and society bestowed on them the position that they deserved…" The paper=
goes on to list ten special attributes of martyrdom, such as: "Martyrdom i=
s a free choice that stems from a true conviction in a holy or a national i=
ssue… It is the motivator for the struggle against everything hostile and=
false… [It] proves that death creates life and attains goals… [Martyrd=
om] has no set time or place… it is the answer to a need… when martyrdo=
m is the only way to defeat aggression and tyranny…"(3)

On the same subject, Al-Iraq daily stated: "… The honorable religious sch=
olars agree unanimously that martyrdom is a great honor and a divine gift t=
hat Allah bestows upon selected [individuals] among His followers. It is a =
[divine] selection as evidenced by His words [in the Koran] 'and He makes y=
ou martyrs' and His pronouncement on behalf of the martyr: 'Do not consider=
those who were killed for the cause of Allah dead, but alive beside their =
God'…" The article goes on to enumerate the six rewards that the martyr r=
eceives for his act: "With the first drop of blood he is given absolution a=
nd he can see his seat in paradise. He is spared the torture of the grave. =
He is secure from the Great Horror [of Judgment Day]. He is crowned with th=
e crown of glory. He marries black-eyed [virgins]. He can vouch for seven=
ty of his relatives [to enter Paradise]." The article quotes the clergy's =
interpretations of the Hadith [oral traditions] as saying that the martyr d=
oes not feel p!
ain, that martyrdom is the highest level of Jihad for the cause of Allah an=
d His word, and for defending the country, property and honor.(4) =


Iraq's Prison System: Torture, Amnesty, and Status of Political Prisoners

A Kurdish prisoner, Raid Qader Mintek who spent eight years in Iraqi jails =
and was included in the general amnesty, described in an interview with Al-=
Sharq Al-Awsat some of the events that he witnessed there, such as an incid=
ent where "an Iraqi citizen was brought to jail after being accused of stea=
ling an automatic rifle belonging to Uday Saddam Hussein. A few days later=
Uday himself came to the prison, and cut a few of the man's fingers with a=
sword. Then it was discovered that the man was not guilty, but actually a =
member of one of the Tikrit clans [Saddam's birthplace], so Uday apologized=
and paid the man 25,000 dinars, the equivalent of $10 at the time…"(5)=


The Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai Al-Amm, in an article written by Hamid Al-Maliki a=
nd titled "What Amnesty are They Talking About?" reported that the news fro=
m inside Iraq indicates that "mass executions of prisoners and political de=
tainees are still going on, which implies that the 'so called amnesty'… i=
s nothing but a big lie with a propaganda goal, namely to create confusion =
concerning the repressive measures that the regime uses against our people =
and the opposition…" According to the article, once again plastic bags wi=
th body parts are found on the streets of Baghdad, and the Iraqi secret ser=
vice surrounds these cases with secrecy and conceals information from relat=
ives.(6)

The Iraqi Communist Party issued a statement declaring that the fate of tho=
usands of Iraqi political prisoners is still unknown and expressed its fear=
that "they were killed in execution campaigns of political prisoners that =
went on for several years…"(7) Also, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat quoted a report p=
ublished by the independent Kurdish paper Ja Maw Har that the Iraqi authori=
ties executed six political prisoners during the month of October.(8)

"Isbu'iya Media, a Kurdish weekly published in Irbil [northern Iraq] report=
ed that on November 8, 2002 Iraqi authorities executed eight officers who w=
orked in a missile depot in the area of Biji, in the Tikrit Province north =
of Baghdad. They were accused of blowing up the depot earlier. The executio=
ns were carried out under the direct supervision of Ali Al-Majid, Saddam's =
cousin…" The weekly listed the names and ranks of the officers.(9)

A news report from Beirut reported that Lebanese security forces found an I=
raqi dissident executed by hanging in his apartment in Sur. He was also bea=
ten on his head with an iron bat. According to the report Walid Ibrahim Al=
-Miyahi has been waiting for an immigration permit to the U.S.(10)

1) Al-Iraq (Iraq), December 20, 2002.
(2) Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), December 13, 2002.
(3) Al-Junhuriya (Iraq), December 1, 2002.
(4) Al-Iraq (Iraq), December 1, 2002.
(5) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), October 23, 2002.
(6) Al-Rai Al-Amm (Kuwait), November 1, 2002.
(7) Al-Hayat (London), November 4, 2002.
(8) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), October 28, 2002.
(9) Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), November 17, 2002.
(10) Al-Hayat (London), December 5, 2002.