Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
This book describes the struggle for human rights in Europe. For me the most important thing about this book is that is reminds the people who live in democratic states and societies about how the struggle for human rights started 500 years ago. These modern people are able to enjoy the fruits of that struggle. Iraqi people say we need 500 years to put things right and become properly democratic but they are wrong.
What about your next book, Inventing Human Rights by Lynn Hunt? This continues the political theme.
Oh, this is a really brilliant book. It describes the struggle for human rights in Europe. For me the most important thing about all these books is to remind the people who live in democratic states and societies about how the struggle for human rights started 500 years ago. These modern people are able to enjoy the fruits of that struggle. Iraqi people say we need 500 years to put things right and become properly democratic but they are wrong. Books like this show us we can borrow the big ideas and use them to our benefit.
So you see this book as an example of how Iraq should be developing?
Exactly. Think about the history of the wheel, which was invented over 3,000 years ago. We all have the benefit of that, so why shouldn’t we Iraqis get the benefit of things that have been developed elsewhere. We use things like Western medicines and Western cars so I don’t think we should start having a reaction against Western democracy. We should see what works with it and use it.
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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.’
