Iraqi Woman Recalls Horrors of Homeland

By Irene Lagan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 4/10/03)

"Before emigrating from Iraq 11 years ago, I would never have imagined talking to this group," said Zainab Al-Suwaij, who fled Iraq shortly after the failed 1991 uprising. "Discussion about democracy, freedom and civil society are off limits in Iraqi society. I consider it a blessing to talk about such things."

Al-Suwaij is the executive director and founder of the American Islamic Congress, a social organization dedicated to building tolerance and civil rights in America and in the Muslim world. Al-Suwaij believes strongly that "American Muslims must take the lead in fostering tolerance, respect for human rights and social justice."

At a recent discussion hosted by Washington, D.C.-based Ethics and Public Policy Center, Al-Suwaij described her own experience growing up under Hussein’s regime, some of the effects of his reign of terror, and her hopes for democracy and a free society in Iraq.

According to Al-Suwaij, most Iraqi citizens who have grown up under Hussein’s regime have no concept of real freedom. Calling freedom a "gift from God," Al-Suwaij said, "If you are born in America, it is hard to appreciate how valuable your freedom is. It is the most beautiful thing in the world.

"One of the best things about democratic societies is freedom of speech. Democratic societies encourage people to express themselves openly without fear of punishment.

This is one of the strengths of democracy, because freedom of speech empowers individuals to stand out for themselves and for their ideals," she explained.

Al-Suwaij began her talk by describing her experiences growing up in Iraq. As a Shiite Muslim from a devout religious family, Al-Suwaij said she learned from a young age to "stand up" for her beliefs. As a young student, she described being forced to participate in political demonstrations at school and to censor opinions she might have about the ruling party.

"The experience of growing up in a Muslim world under dictators and oppressive communist regimes has molded our communities," she said. "It shapes us in ways we cannot control."

After finishing high school in 1990, Al-Suwaij traveled to Kuwait in time to witness the "killing and destruction caused by Saddam Hussein and his forces" when he invaded Kuwait.

Before the Gulf War started, she returned to Iraq, where she saw the allied bombing and participated in the 1991 uprising, experiencing for the first time in her life the possibility of freedom.

"Even though I was a woman, only 20 years old, I participated in the uprising. Within one week we liberated 15 out of 18 provinces. I treated the wounded. I went to an Iraqi prison. Let me tell you what I saw," she said.

Upon entering the prison, Al-Suwaij was surprised by the number of prisoners from Kuwait and other Arab countries, as well as from Europe. Prisoners were subjected to unspeakable cruelty and suffered various forms of torture, the extent of which many outside of Iraq fail to grasp, she said.

"As I was walking into this large room with an awful smell, I saw a huge machine. It was a human meat grinder. There were chemical baths, ovens, rooms for sexual torture, electrical wires and other tools for torture," she said.

"That experience changed my image of the war," she added. "I understood that for nearly three decades there was already war in Iraq, waged by the government against the Iraqi people."

The failed uprising, said Al-Suwaij, was a blow to the Iraqi people who believed that America would assist their efforts to overthrow Hussein’s regime and who suffered when Hussein’s army regrouped and crushed the rebellion.

"I cannot stress enough that we should be very careful about promising freedom in the Iraqi world and not making good on our promises. I believe that America’s failure to supply the help it promised reverberated throughout the Iraqi world, creating bitterness and mistrust toward America," she said. "I also believe that the U.S. can heal the wounds by demonstrating a genuine commitment."

Al-Suwaij went into hiding for two months, eventually escaping Iraq and coming to the United States.

"For many years I did not talk about my experiences in Iraq," she said. "Now I continue living my life in New Haven, Conn., where my husband is a graduate student at Yale University."

Al-Suwaij described living in the United States, where she has been exposed to free society and diversity, as a "time of growing."

"It was new for me. The best example that I can give you is that I belong to a group of parents who are Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Buddhist. We talk about many topics. We overlook our religious differences and enjoy our common values as human beings."

For Al-Suwaij and other Muslims who have fled Iraq to the freedom of the West, learning to live in a democratic society entails shedding certain fears and beliefs that were necessary for survival in an oppressive society.

"Because the mood of the government can change at any time, you see people who are not willing to be flexible in their beliefs disappear very quickly," she said. As a result, many Muslims living in America often express contradictory beliefs, such as blaming the Western culture for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and at the same time seeking American visas or even citizenship. These kinds of contradictions are unfortunately almost everywhere in the Middle East," she said.

Despite expressing such contradictions, Al-Suwaij said that America is a great symbol of freedom for many Muslims.

Recalling Sept. 11, Al-Suwaij said that watching the towers burn brought to mind the terror and hatred she had left behind. "It was a terrible nightmare," she said. "All I wanted was for my son and daughter to grow up in freedom, safety and peace."

Al-Suwaij responded to the terrorist attacks and difficulties that Muslims living in a free society face by founding the American Islamic Congress, which sponsors tolerance programs and advocates freedom in the Muslim world, and encourages Muslims to learn the ways of democracy.

"Today, I live here in America. I cannot be quiet. To those who are still stuck in contradictions, I have to tell them it is time to leave the contradictions behind," she said.

American Muslims, she said, must begin by encouraging freedom of speech within their own communities. Individuals must learn that they can express opinions that differ from the viewpoints of their political and social leaders without fear of reprisal. Although political and social pressure are currently the "defining standard of the Muslim community," Al-Suwaij believes that American Muslims are beginning to overcome barriers that have come from living without freedom.

"If we can talk openly, we can begin to build a civil society in the Muslim world,"she said. "We need free labor unions, and schools that teach tolerance. I think that our work can create a change in the entire Muslim world. But the Muslim community in America is young. We are still learning how to find our voice in a civil society, and how to bring a civil society to the Muslim world. I am here to stand with you and I hope that many of you will stand with us."

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