Women's Iraq

The periphery (for me) is like one long Iraq meeting. Yesterday a brilliant meeting of Act Together, a women's group originally coming out of Women in Black to oppose sanctions (then war, then occupation) in Iraq.

Four Iraqi women presented views of Iraq - the historical background of women's position in Iraqi society under Saddam was set out by Nadje al-Ali from Exeter University; another Nadje who came to Britain from Iraq only in March focussed on education; Haifa Zangana, who writes in the Guardian, spoke about the occupation; and film-maker Maysoon Pachachi presented rough cuts from her film-in-progress, based on five weeks in Iraq in February/March.

The presentations were all excellent, there was lively interaction with an audience of fifty-sixty people (only forty seats) with Q&A after each section.

The highlight was, as one woman said, seeing and hearing ordinary Iraqis in the film expressing themselves, rather than being objects in a Western news segment. Women demonstrating to defend their status in the new constitution; women fiercely lobbying Lakhdar Brahimi as he consulted nationally on the feasibility of elections; women teachers expressing frustration as they gather to review the curriculum.

One teacher remarked wryly, 'Of course we must go on, we have patience, but even Job, even Job fled Iraq.'

Shamefully, Maysoon's film is to be aired in Germany and France, but has no commission from either the BBC or C4.

Milan Rai
King's Cross (public telephone)