Return to sovereignty

One year after the start of the recent war in Iraq and two months after arriving in the United States, Barakat Jassem and Rawand Darwesh sit in the dining room of their Bloomington apartment drinking dark tea while reflecting on the past and contemplating the future. \n"My experience has been like an adventure. A bit over a year ago we were living under an authoritarian regime, then the war began, and here I am now attending university in the United States," Jassem said. \nThese days Jassem and Darwesh, along with the other four Iraqi Fulbright Scholars at IU, are preoccupied with preparing for the Graduate Record Examinations as they prepare to apply to various graduate programs at universities across the U.S. \nThe Iraqi students are among the first batch of scholars to come to the U.S. following the resumption of the State Department's Fulbright Program after a 14-year hiatus from Iraq. \nJassem said their class work in the Intensive English Program keeps them busy, as does cooking and taking care of the apartment. During their free time, the two scholars enjoy meeting new people and sharing stories about their personal experiences and their hopes for Iraq's future. \nDarwesh said he feels it is important to tell people about his country. \n"I consider myself a bridge between the Iraqi and U.S. peoples," Darwesh said. \nLast Thursday, Jassem and Darwesh were invited to lead a panel discussion at Ashton Center. They were joined by another Iraqi Fulbright Scholar, Dalia Kaikhasraw. The three introduced themselves to students and described what life was like growing up and living in Iraq. \nThe scholars also fielded questions ranging from their perspective on Saddam Hussein's rise and fall to what the future of Iraq might look like. \nEach of them has their own outlook on events in Iraq and their own ideas on what form of government would work best as an interim Iraqi government prepares to take over from the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority at the end of June. \nJassem advocates restoring Iraq's former royal family to play a ceremonial role in a constitutional monarchy framework that vests political power in a prime minister and an elected parliament. Darwesh would like to see a strong federal system granting the Kurdish region of Iraq similar autonomy to that of Scotland within the United Kingdom. Kaikhasraw feels women have an important role to play in governing Iraq. \nThe new Transitional Administrative Law, which will serve as Iraq's interim constitution, will lead the way in ensuring women help shape the future of Iraq, Kaikhasraw said. \n"The constitution is not 100 percent perfect, but it is a good start. The positive things outweigh the negative parts," Kaikhasraw said. \nThe document which was recently signed by Iraq's Governing Council stipulates women should comprise no less than 25 percent of the National Assembly during the transitional period. \nKaikhasraw believes this provision will be included in the permanent constitution and over time, women will comprise an even larger portion of the government. \nJassem points out there have been several advancements as the nation readies itself to return to sovereignty. Many of the key government ministries are up and functioning, all the schools and universities in Iraq are open, utilities such as electricity though still sporadic are becoming more reliable and an interim constitution including a federal system and bill of rights has been agreed upon by the Governing Council. \nYet despite all these advances, there is still uncertainty and apprehension. Shaheen Jihad, another Iraqi Fulbright Scholar, said his family in Baghdad, Iraq, tells him over the phone that calm has yet to return to the capital city. \nJihad said he feels it is important to return sovereignty to Iraqis soon through national elections which are scheduled for December but added the campaign by insurgents to try to create havoc and chaos would complicate the process. \n"The bombings are targeted more against the Iraqi people than against the American soldiers. It is an attempt to disrupt the situation," he said. \nWhen asked who the insurgents are and why they carry out their attacks, Jihad explains they are mostly former soldiers in the old Iraqi army who are frustrated and disillusioned by their fall from power and position. Jihad added there are several foreign agents and extremists involved who do not wish to see the status quo in that region of the Middle East change.\nJihad fears these attackers may sustain their campaign into a prolonged conflict bogging down the process of reconstruction in the country. Jihad said he hopes Iraqis can withstand this onslaught and future leaders in Iraq are technocrats chosen by the people based on their qualifications to rebuild the country and not politicians that jostle amongst one another for power and influence. \nThe Iraqi Fulbright Scholars hope to return to Iraq in the near future to help their country rebuild and develop. \n-- Contact staff writer Rami Chami at rchami@indiana.edu.