Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project

A note from Sami Rasouli, Director of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams

“Miracle in Baghdad”

It was with great apprehension that I took my wife and young son, Omar, to the United States Embassy last week. I was not nervous about being spotted visiting the US Embassy or for any security reason. I was nervous that, even though I am an American citizen as well as an Iraqi citizen, their visa applications would be denied. I see it happen so often to legitimate applications that I thought it might happen to my wife and son. Thankfully, there was a miracle in Baghdad that day: their visa applications were granted within 24 hours of our interview. Now I know what the 15,000 employees at the embassy are there for!

While I am very happy that Suaad and Omar will get to tag along with me to Minneapolis this summer, the success of their visa applications and the speed with which they were processed stand in stark contrast to the usual long delays and rejections given without explanation. For the past year and longer, I and IARP have worked to get visas for many Najaf citizens to visit their Sister City of Minneapolis. Many Najaf people want to visit Minneapolis, to make new friends and colleagues with Minnesotans. Najafis from many professions, including doctors, lawyers, teachers, students, parents, business owners, and others are anxious to see a different side of Americans than the soldiers and occupation forces.

Unfortunately, these applicants for peace are frequently denied visas, and infrequently given a good reason why. After preparing their applications for a US visa, Najafis must make the 3-hour car trip to Baghdad, find overnight lodging, and present themselves at the giant US Embassy complex. It is not an easy process, and often leaves the very people who want to come to the United States to make friends, generate business, and build connections feeling rejected and unhappy. This is an area of American policy that Iraqis do not understand.

Questions that Iraqis are required to answer on their visa applications include:

• Have you ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled substances?
• Are you coming to the United States to engage in prostitution or unlawful commercialized vice or have you been engaged in prostitution or procuring prostitutes within the past 10 years?
• Have you ever committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?
• Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?
• Do you seek to engage in terrorist activities while in the United States or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities?
• Have you ever or do you intend to provide financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations?
• Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization?
• Have you ever ordered, incited, committed, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide?
• Have you ever committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in torture?
• Have you committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in extrajudicial killings, political killings, or other acts of violence?
• Have you ever engaged in the recruitment or the use of the child soldiers?
• Have you, while serving as a government official, been responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom?
• Have you ever been directly involved in the establishment or enforcement of the population controls forcing a woman to undergo an abortion against her free choice or a man or a woman to undergo sterilization against his or her free will?
• Have you ever been directly involved in the coercive transplantation of human organs or bodily tissue?
• Have you ever withheld custody of a U.S. citizen child outside the United States from a person granted legal custody by a U.S. court?

You can read the full application that Iraqis must fill out online at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/default.aspx.

The United States Embassy states that it takes a maximum of 6 weeks for it to process visas for Iraqis to enter the US. Unfortunately this is often not the case. For example, the president of a university in Najaf had to wait a (humiliating) 2 months to get his visa released. It was finally released after IARP, MPT, and the office of Congressman Keith Ellison submitted a complaint. A doctor and engineer recently waited 6 months to get their visas, and another doctor waited 9 months before receiving his.

Iraqis face these delays and difficulties after being invaded and occupied by more than 1 million American forces (rotated over 9 years) with no visas!!

After decades of war, sanctions, and occupation that have devastated Iraq, the United States should at least allow Iraqis who want to partner and make friends with Americans into the country. This is the least part of what the United States can do, but it is an important step toward reconciliation. IARP and MPT advocate for a more welcoming policy through communication with the US Embassy in Iraq, by providing assistance to Iraqis who want to visit the United States, and by generating positive publicity for Iraqi visitors. Thank you for your support that helps us to do this. I, Suaad, and Omar look forward to seeing you in the United States this summer.

Sami Rasouli

IARP and our partner in Iraq, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, are pleased to announce that 915 more students in the area of Najaf, Iraq will now have access to clean drinking water through our Water for Peace program. This brings the total number of students who have received access to clean water through Water for Peace to over 36,000.

Thank you to donor Robert Miggler for contributing funds to install a large (200 gallons/day) water sanitation system at Ad-Doha Elementary School (915students) in Najaf!

Below are some photos from Ad-Doha:

The background statement in the pictures is translated as:

The Honorable Scholar Imam Zain Al-Abedeen speaking to young students 1300 years ago said you owe your teacher the following:

• Honoring him/her at all times.
• Respecting her/his presence.
• Listening with interest.
• Being true about your study.
• Continuing individual effort for conducting new researches.

Water for Peace partners American groups with Iraqi schools and hospitals to provide water sanitation systems for Iraqis without access to clean water. Today, after the “end” of the American-led war and occupation, more than 7 million Iraqis lack access to clean water, which contributes to the deaths of young children from such conditions as typhoid and dysentery.

Since 2007, IARP and MPT have coordinated projects by individuals, schools, and civic groups to hold educational events and raise funds for water sanitation systems to be installed in a large teaching hospital in Najaf and 79 schools, which together serve over 36,000 students.

To learn more about Water for Peace, visit http://waterforpeaceproject.org.

Note:
*Students ages from 6-12 years old.
*Elementary schools in Iraq include students from 1st Grade to 6th grade.

President Akeel Yasseen spent 5 days in the Twin Cities in April meeting with the University of Minnesota and other higher education institutions to support exchange programs between Kufa University in Iraq and Minnesota universities.

President Akeel Yasseen of Kufa University

The Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) hosted President Akeel Yasseen of Kufa University, Iraq in the Twin Cities from April 15 to April 19. President Yasseen spent the bulk of his visit with the University of Minnesota, but also met with students and faculty at Augsburg College, the University of St. Thomas, and Macalester College.

President Yasseen and Dr. Zuhair Alleban, who accompanied President Yasseen on the trip, gave a public lecture at the University of Minnesota on April 17 on, “Higher Education in Iraq: Strategic Opportunities for Partnership.” Dr. Alleban is a distinguished gene therapist and faculty member at Kufa University.

The University of Minnesota and Kufa University have worked together since 2009 on academic exchange and faculty visits, focused on the University of Minnesota’s College of Nursing and the College of Education and Human Development. President Yasseen met with deans, faculty, and staff of international programming to expand this relationship and explore other strategic partnerships, including an Arabic language program at Kufa University for University of Minnesota and other Twin Cities college students, collaborative faculty research opportunities, a joint scientific journal, and guest faculty lectures at Kufa.

Kathy McKay, Executive Director of IARP, says, “President Yasseen and Dr. Alleban are very committed to rebuilding higher education at Kufa University and throughout Iraq. We hope their visit will move forward cooperative efforts between the U of M and Kufa University. President Yasseen is interested in expanding partnerships with American universities, and we see this as an important way that American institutions can participate in reconciliation. It’s also a great way for Minnesotans to get to know Iraqis better.”

Kufa University is a leading university in Iraq and is located in the metro area of Najaf, Sister City to Minneapolis. Since the two cities began that relationship in 2009, eight delegations from Najaf have traveled to Minneapolis, including faculty and administrators from Kufa University. Last fall, for example, the Dean of the College of Nursing of Kufa University traveled to Minneapolis to meet with the University of Minnesota College of Nursing. Last August (2011), University of Minnesota student Anna Kaminski spent three weeks in Najaf and met with President Yasseen.

For more information, please visit http://reconciliationproject.org or contact:

Kathy McKay Luke Wilcox
Executive Director Development and Communications Director
952-545-9981 605-360-6020
kathy@reconciliationproject.org luke@reconciliationproject.org

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The Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) creates bridges of communication, understanding and support between Americans and Iraqis that lead to the development of friendship across cultures; expanded understanding of one another; and tangible acts for rebuilding a country devastated by years of war, sanctions, more war and occupation. The mission of IARP is to promote reconciliation between the people of the United States and Iraq in response to the devastation affecting Iraqi families, society, and culture. IARP works with our partner organization in Iraq, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams.

The following letters were written by attendees at the War Dialogues: Windows and Mirrors Exhibit in Pittsburgh, PA. They have been sent to Iraq and are awaiting response.

If you would like to respond to these letters, whether from an American or Iraqi perspective, please send your letter to Luke Wilcox at luke@reconciliationproject.org.

“Higher Education in Iraq: Strategic Opportunities for Partnership”

President Akeel Yasseen of Kufa University

Join President Akeel Yasseen of Kufa University, Iraq for a presentation on higher education in Iraq and opportunities for partnership between Iraqi and American universities. Kufa University is a leading academic institution in Iraq and has worked with the University of Minnesota on academic exchanges since 2009. The university is located in the metro area of Najaf, Sister City to Minneapolis. President Yasseen will be hosted by IARP.

When: Tuesday, April 17, 3:30pm
Where: University International Center
331 17th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

For more information, view the Facebook event page here

Click here to download the full press release about President Yasseen’s visit

“Water for Peace”

Join IARP staff person Luke Wilcox and President Yasseen for a presentation on water in Iraq and Water for Peace, a program of IARP that provides safe drinking water to Iraqi schools. Through Water for Peace, groups working with IARP and our partner in Iraq, the Muslim Peacemaker Teams, have provided clean water to 78 schools and approximately 35,000 students in Iraq. The presentation will be at the College of Nursing at the University of Minnesota.

When: Monday, April 16, 12:05 pm
Where: Room 4-180, Weaver Densford Hall,
308 Harvard Street SE Minneapolis, MN 55455