Constitution Education Workshop

Basra
Nov. 20, 2005

The Iraq Foundation held a constitution education workshop on November 20, 2005 in the Southern City of Basra. The workshop, which was attended by 75 people, focused on: Freedom and Rights in the Constitution, Civil Society and Freedom of Assembly, and Freedom of Speech and Publication. The workshop aimed at raising public awareness on a number of constitutional issues, particularly article two. The article stresses that no law will contradict the “provisions of Islam,” “principles of democracy,” and “rights and basic freedoms stipulated in this constitution.” Additionally, the workshop was designed to bring together a group of university professors, lawyers, judges, civil society leaders, and human rights’ activists to discuss ways to improve the constitution and strengthen the protection of freedom, democracy and human right’s principles in the draft.

The participants engaged in a lively debate on the subject of human rights and freedom following a presentation by the Director of the Human rights and Democracy Organization on the issue. This was followed by a presentation by the Basra Civil Court Judge Laith Jabr on his Comparative Study of the 1959 personal law no. 188 and article 39 (which stresses that “Iraqis are free in their commitment to their personal status according their religions, sects, beliefs, or choices”) of the current constitution. The third presentation was by Lawyer Falah Hussein al Tamimi and focused on the constitution’s protection of people’s rights and freedoms.

This was followed by a set of presentations on Civil Society and Freedom of Assembly in Iraq. The presenters included Jafr al Daraji, professor of constitutional law at Basra University and Arz Naji al Hassani, the director of the Media Center for the Arabian Gulf Studies at Basra University. Finally, Basra University Professor, Saleem Naeem al Khafji spoke about freedom of speech while the Vice-Editor of Chief of the Manara Newspaper concluded the workshop with a discussion of article 36 (which stresses that the state guarantees the freedom of expression, press, printing, advertisement, media, publication, assembly, and peaceful demonstration, “in a way that does not violate public order and morality”) of the constitution.

The participants expressed satisfaction with the workshop’s outcomes and called on the Iraq Foundation to increase such activities in Basra. The workshop was attended by a number of different media organizations including, Reuters, Kurdistan TV, al Fayhaa Satellite Channel, the Manara Newspaper, and the local al Nakheel Basra Television.