Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
This shows how citizenship became the main concept in democracy during the struggles of the British people, the Americans and the French. I don’t think you can have democracy without the concept of citizenship.
Your next book is Derek Heater’s, A Brief History of Citizenship.
I think this one is my favourite. It shows how citizenship became the main concept in democracy during the struggles of the British people, the Americans and the French. It is full of examples about how citizenship started in Athens and in Rome.
Why is citizenship so important to you?
Well, I don’t think you can have democracy without the concept of citizenship. Citizenship needs three conditions: the first is political rights, the second is civilian rights and finally social rights. Without these three rights there is no citizenship at all. For me the beauty of democracy is that it gives people these rights. They can change their lives from those of individuals to become citizens.
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Nabeel Yasin is one of Iraq’s most famous poets. His poems had him branded an enemy of the state under Saddam Hussein. He left Iraq for England 30 years ago with his wife and young son and continued to write and publish poetry from exile. Now he’s returned to his country and ran for prime minister in this month’s elections. ‘In our legacy here in Iraq we have some ideas about the conscience and duty of the state,’ he says. ‘Which should be to give happiness to the citizens, as numerous religious leaders have told us. For me there can be no kind of enlightenment without civil society.’
