Iraqi Universities Libraries Appeal. 
Help us fill the shelves of Iraq's burnt-out  libraries. And whom to contact?  

Sunday Herald - 18 May 2003

 Help us fill the shelves of Iraq's burnt-out libraries

 The Sunday Herald is appealing to readers to donate vital

 English-language books

 By Alan Taylor

TODAY the Sunday Herald, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, is launching a unique campaign to restock Iraq's looted libraries.  Amidst the shock over the plundering of priceless artworks from Iraq's National Museum of Antiquities, relatively little attention has been paid to the destruction of the nation's principallibraries. Now, however, to the despair of scholars around the world, the full extent of the damage is becoming clear. Many major research libraries in Iraq have been looted and burnt with the loss of hundreds of thousands of books and manuscripts, many of which may be irreplaceable. The National Library of Iraq in Baghdad has lost around half-a-million books and journals, including 5000 rare volumes. The University of Baghdad, which housed around 600,000 books, has been burnt down. The al-Awqaf Library, where 5000 Islamic manuscripts were housed, has also been looted and burnt.

These are just a few of the libraries which have suffered following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime. Outside Baghdad, the story is depressingly familiar. In Mosul, about 900,000 books and journals in the university library were looted and burnt. The University of Basra has likewise been vandalised and pillaged. Countless thousands of documents representing the written record of public life and history of Iraq have disappeared or been destroyed. Because they are unique, many manuscripts may be lost forever. Books, however, may be replaced.

Inspired by Professor Yasir Suleiman, Director of the Edinburgh Institute for the Advanced Study of Islam and the Middle East, the University of Edinburgh and the Sunday Herald have joined forces in a unique bid to rebuild Iraq's libraries. 'The need for academic books in English for the university libraries in Iraq is very acute,' said Suleiman.

English is the medium of instruction in medicine, engineering, and the sciences. Post and undergraduates in the social sciences and the humanities use books in English for their research. Every Iraqi university has a department of English language and literature where the teaching is done in English. 'During the past 10 years, Iraqi academics took to selling their own personal libraries to supplement their incomes. For a scholar, the loss of a library represents a personal blow that strikes at the core of one's identity.'

In the past, Baghdad was a vibrant publishing centre. But during the past 15 years it has suffered badly. Crippled by rising public debts because of the Iraq-Iran war, and the effects of the UN sanctions, Iraqi universities have been unable to purchase books, especially books in the English language. 'I have received several appeals from Iraqi students in the past for books in English, and somehow managed to offer limited help when I could,' said Suleiman. 'When the Mongols, under Genghis Khan, sacked Baghdad in 1258, they destroyed its libraries. The event was recorded by the Arab historians as one of the darkest chapters in the history of the city in medieval times. Images of the looting of books and other historical treasures after the fall of Baghdad on April 13 will undoubtedly enter the annals of history as the modern equivalent of that distant, but not forgotten, trauma. 'Anything we can do to show solidarity with the Iraqi people, the Iraqi universities and a country mourning massive losses in its intellectual capital will help alleviate the trauma of a nation that has so much to contribute to our civilisation, as it has done so magnificently in the past.'

Already several publishers have generously agreed to donate their backlists in aid of Books for Baghdad, including Edinburgh University Press, which has pledged a copy of every book from its 1400-strong catalogue, and the Edinburgh-based publisher Canongate. The University of Edinburgh has been a seat of Arabic and Islamic learning in Scotland since 1751. Its department of Middle Eastern Studies is the only five-star rated department in the subject in the UK. Suleiman was elected to the Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1990.

Professor Timothy O'Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, said: 'The University is delighted to be able to do something positive and practical to help fellow academics in Iraq. Our Centre for Islamic Studies has long been one of the leading lights in the academic world in this area, and we are proud of this initiative to help the University of Baghdad in its hour of need.' Andrew Jaspan, editor of the Sunday Herald, added: 'We will continue to support the humanitarian efforts in Iraq, but Professor Suleiman's plan to ask Scots to help replenish Iraq's libraries and centres of learning seemed such a compelling idea that we thought readers could give their support after the war.'

Antonia Swinson, Society of Authors in Scotland Chairman, said: 'We wholeheartedly support the Books for Baghdad campaign. Giving some of our own books and asking our publishers to donate more, is the very least we can do. I am sure every sector of Scottish life will be looking to see how to help their opposite numbers in Iraq.'

Catherine Lockerbie, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, added: 'Books are a necessity for Iraq, not a luxury. 'Of course, a battered country in a state of transition needs water, food, the rule of law, but it also needs to kick-start its education system, to feed its hunger for intellectual sustenance. The EIBF is therefore committed to supporting this important campaign.' If you would like to donate to Books for Baghdad please contact Ian Revie of Edinburgh University at ian.revie@ed.ac.uk or Alan Taylor of the Sunday Herald at aftaylor2000@aol.com

 Copyright © 2003 smg sunday newspapers ltd. no.176088

 Back to previous page

 A major project initiated by Prof. Yasir Suleiman of Edinburgh University. For details please refer to our Website. 

If you would like to donate to Books please contact

Ian Revie of Edinburgh University at ian.revie@ed.ac.uk

or

Alan Taylor of the Sunday Herald at aftaylor2000@aol.com

Back to Top

Prof. Sulaiman Interview (1)

Sunday Herald - 18 May 2003

 Help us fill the shelves of Iraq's burnt-out libraries

 The Sunday Herald is appealing to readers to donate vital

 English-language books

 By Alan Taylor

TODAY the Sunday Herald, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, is launching a unique campaign to restock Iraq's looted libraries.  Amidst the shock over the plundering of priceless artworks from Iraq's National Museum of Antiquities, relatively little attention has been paid to the destruction of the nation's principal libraries. Now, however, to the despair of scholars around the world, the full extent of the damage is becoming clear. Many major research libraries in Iraq have been looted and burnt with the loss of hundreds of thousands of books and manuscripts, many of which may be irreplaceable. The National Library of Iraq in Baghdad has lost around half-a-million books and journals, including 5000 rare volumes. The University of Baghdad, which housed around 600,000 books, has been burnt down. The al-Awqaf Library, where 5000 Islamic manuscripts were housed, has also been looted and burnt.

These are just a few of the libraries which have suffered following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime. Outside Baghdad, the story is depressingly familiar. In Mosul, about 900,000 books and journals in the university library were looted and burnt. The University of Basra has likewise been vandalised and pillaged. Countless thousands of documents representing the written record of public life and history of Iraq have disappeared or been destroyed. Because they are unique, many manuscripts may be lost forever. Books, however, may be replaced.

Inspired by Professor Yasir Suleiman, Director of the Edinburgh Institute for the Advanced Study of Islam and the Middle East, the University of Edinburgh and the Sunday Herald have joined forces in a unique bid to rebuild Iraq's libraries. 'The need for academic books in English for the university libraries in Iraq is very acute,' said Suleiman.

English is the medium of instruction in medicine, engineering, and the sciences. Post and undergraduates in the social sciences and the humanities use books in English for their research. Every Iraqi university has a department of English language and literature where the teaching is done in English. 'During the past 10 years, Iraqi academics took to selling their own personal libraries to supplement their incomes. For a scholar, the loss of a library represents a personal blow that strikes at the core of one's identity.'

In the past, Baghdad was a vibrant publishing centre. But during the past 15 years it has suffered badly. Crippled by rising public debts because of the Iraq-Iran war, and the effects of the UN sanctions, Iraqi universities have been unable to purchase books, especially books in the English language. 'I have received several appeals from Iraqi students in the past for books in English, and somehow managed to offer limited help when I could,' said Suleiman. 'When the Mongols, under Genghis Khan, sacked Baghdad in 1258, they destroyed its libraries. The event was recorded by the Arab historians as one of the darkest chapters in the history of the city in medieval times. Images of the looting of books and other historical treasures after the fall of Baghdad on April 13 will undoubtedly enter the annals of history as the modern equivalent of that distant, but not forgotten, trauma. 'Anything we can do to show solidarity with the Iraqi people, the Iraqi universities and a country mourning massive losses in its intellectual capital will help alleviate the trauma of a nation that has so much to contribute to our civilisation, as it has done so magnificently in the past.'

Already several publishers have generously agreed to donate their backlists in aid of Books for Baghdad, including Edinburgh University Press, which has pledged a copy of every book from its 1400-strong catalogue, and the Edinburgh-based publisher Canongate. The University of Edinburgh has been a seat of Arabic and Islamic learning in Scotland since 1751. Its department of Middle Eastern Studies is the only five-star rated department in the subject in the UK. Suleiman was elected to the Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies in 1990.

Professor Timothy O'Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh, said: 'The University is delighted to be able to do something positive and practical to help fellow academics in Iraq. Our Centre for Islamic Studies has long been one of the leading lights in the academic world in this area, and we are proud of this initiative to help the University of Baghdad in its hour of need.' Andrew Jaspan, editor of the Sunday Herald, added: 'We will continue to support the humanitarian efforts in Iraq, but Professor Suleiman's plan to ask Scots to help replenish Iraq's libraries and centres of learning seemed such a compelling idea that we thought readers could give their support after the war.'

Antonia Swinson, Society of Authors in Scotland Chairman, said: 'We wholeheartedly support the Books for Baghdad campaign. Giving some of our own books and asking our publishers to donate more, is the very least we can do. I am sure every sector of Scottish life will be looking to see how to help their opposite numbers in Iraq.'

Catherine Lockerbie, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, added: 'Books are a necessity for Iraq, not a luxury. 'Of course, a battered country in a state of transition needs water, food, the rule of law, but it also needs to kick-start its education system, to feed its hunger for intellectual sustenance. The EIBF is therefore committed to supporting this important campaign.' If you would like to donate to Books for Baghdad please contact Ian Revie of Edinburgh University at ian.revie@ed.ac.uk or Alan Taylor of the Sunday Herald at aftaylor2000@aol.com

 Copyright © 2003 smg sunday newspapers ltd. no.176088

 Back to previous page

Back to Top

Prof. Sulaiman Interview (2)

Yasir Suleiman

 Sunday Herald - 01 June 2003

 Support 'overwhelming' in our appeal to fill Iraq's libraries

 By Liam McDougall, Arts Correspondent

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 UP to 10,000 books have been pledged to help restock Iraq's looted libraries, just two weeks after the Sunday Herald launched its unique Books for Baghdad campaign, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.

Since the start of the campaign, designed to assist the country's recovery from the devastation that has affected its principal libraries and universities following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime, offers of help have flooded in from across the UK.

 In particular, the need for English-language texts on medicine, engineering and the sciences is extremely acute. For these subjects, English is the medium of instruction, while post and under-graduates in the social sciences and the humanities use English books for their research.

 In response to the crisis, Elsevier Science, one of the biggest medical science publishers in the UK, has pledged 'a substantial number' of books from its catalogue. The contribution will go towards restocking the depleted shelves in the country's university libraries.

 Blackwell's bookshop in Edinburgh has also said it will give £5000 worth of its stock -- specifically books in the fields of chemistry, physics, computing and business studies . As well as pledging a

 donation, the bookshop, at 53-59 South Bridge, Edinburgh, has agreed to act as a collection point for books that are being given to the campaign.

 Professor Yasir Suleiman, director of the Edinburgh Institute for the Advanced Study of Islam and the Middle East, who inspired the initiative, described the response so far as 'overwhelming'.

 'The Books for Baghdad appeal has really captured the imagination of the public. So far we have been given around 10,000 books and it has put us well on the way to achieving our target of collecting between 50,000 and 100,000 books.'

 Individuals had even traveled to the University of Edinburgh from Fife and Inverness specifically to deliver boxes of books to help the campaign.

 'A large number of people have also given offers of financial support but want to stay anonymous,' he added. 'In two weeks we have been given several thousands of pounds in this way as a direct response to the Sunday Herald and Edinburgh University's campaign.'

 Among the organisations that have given their support to the campaign is the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, one of the world's largest area-studies associations. The society will publicise the campaign at its annual conference in Exeter in July.

 Already, several publishers have generously agreed to donate their backlists in aid of Books For Baghdad, including Edinburgh University Press, which has pledged a copy of every book from its 1400-strong catalogue and the Edinburgh-based publisher Canongate.

 Others who have pledged help for the campaign but have wanted to remain anonymous, have given their support after the full extent of the damage in Iraq became clear.

 Many of the nation's major research libraries have been looted and burnt with the loss of hundreds of thousands of books and manuscripts. In the chaos that followed war in the Gulf, the National Library of Iraq in Baghdad lost half-a-million books and journals, including 5000 rare volumes. The University of Baghdad, which housed around 600,000 books, has been burnt down.

Outside Baghdad, in Mosul, about 900,000 books and journals in the university library were looted and burnt. The University of Basra has likewise been pillaged.

'It is important that through this Scottish-led, British campaign we show our Iraqi colleagues that they have not been forgotten,' said Suleiman. 'We are confident that, in the coming weeks, offers of international support will be made. We look forward to offers of future help and support.'

If you would like to donate to Books For Baghdad please contact Ian Revie of Edinburgh University at ian.revie@ed.ac.uk or Alan Taylor of the Sunday Herald at aftaylor2000@aol.com.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Copyright © 2003 smg Sunday newspapers ltd. no.176088

 Back to previous page

Back to Top

Iraqi Hospitals Appeal - By NABA in collaboration with Human Relief Foundation (HRF)

Re:  Medical Relief – A call to every decent man and women.

NABA, in conjunction with The Human Relief Foundation, are collecting unused medical equipments/supplies from UK hospital to send to poor countries. An Iraqi Chapter is currently sending valuable medical supplies to Iraq. We have the support of many doctors/health workers. So far, we have managed to send around 900 mattresses, an Ambulance, 3 Anaesthetic machines, crutches, Zimmer frames, hospital trolleys, bed linen, artificial limbs, support belts, socks, hearing aids and many other materials and equipments.  These have a total value of £1.5 - 2 million pounds.  All these supplies and equipments proved to be most valuable for the Iraqi hospitals and they are in great demand.

We ask you to help us to collect more materials and equipments from your hospital if you can, as most of the above materials and equipments, if not collected, usually go to the tips. If you want my help to explain to you more please get in touch.

We also wish to establish other chapters to address needs in other countries such Palestine, Sudan, etc. Volunteers are needed to coordinate this work with NABA and HRF.

Looking forward to your support.
Dr R Hamdani, on behalf of NABA

Please send an email to naba@naba.org.uk and relief@arabhealth.co.uk

Or contact Dr Hamdani on telephone :0161 4380446 or 0161 8820535.

Back to Top

Leukaemia Appeal

By Mohamed Khalifa

I am writing this email, with a lot of hope that the majority of people that receive it will read and act on it, and not just hit the delete button. Leukemia is a bone marrow disorder which has claimed the lives of many people. Studying in a hospital, I saw first hand the pain and suffering some children go through before they die. The sad thing is, it is a matter that most of us can do something about. 

I was shocked to find out that out of 360,000 volunteers registered with one of the biggest bone marrow transplant trusts in the UK, there were only few hundreds or so Arabs. I personally came across this issue by chance and was unaware of it. Thats why I'm certain that once this email gets around, we will see a big difference. For those who don't know, the chance of a match being successful, is greatly increased if you are from the same ethnic origin.

So if there is a young Arab kid dying of leukemia in the UK, the chances of him/her receiving a successful transplant is limited to the number of Arabs registered. 

Most of us can perhaps make a difference to someone's life by registering with a bone marrow trust. In the UK, there are 3 trusts; 'The Anthony Nolan Trust', 'The British Bone Marrow Register' and 'The Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry'. You only need to join one as patient searches are automatically referred to each of the three.

WHAT TO DO:

1- Go to either of the trusts websites to find out more and perhaps see where and when you can register. The websites are as follows:

a- The Anthony Nolan Trust   
    http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk

b- The British Bone Marrow Register 
    http://www.blood.co.uk

c- The Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry 
    http://www.welsh-blood.org.uk/wbmdr.html

2- Distribute this message to Arabs you know living in the UK, preferably to big mailing groups such university Arabic societies, mosque/church mailing groups, Islamic societies, and others.

This important and can save many lives ... If you have any questions/ inquiries, please email me at mo_khalifa@hotmail.com.

Back to Top