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20 February 2013

Rawan's vision

Two stills from a video of a "read-in" that happened after Al-Mutanabbi Street - the street of the booksellers in Iraq - was bulldozed by the government for the second time, after trying to rebuild itself after the 2007 bombing. 

"Within twelve days of the attack [on September 17, 2012], people were able to organize a peaceful book festival event that was held on September 29, 2012, with the title: I AM IRAQI, I READ. Private citizens brought book donations to the festival where people gathered on the green in a peaceful demonstration and a defiant public-read-in, to say we will continue reading in public, defying the abhorrent official political attempts of organized suppression of freedom of thought, reading and knowledge in Iraq. We are doing this for our children to enable them to rebuild the future Iraq."

Watch the video, and hear Rawan's stirring speech (she is one articulate kid!), at youtube.com/watch?v=nALIE5MGNU0

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