Spring Break
Speaker shares experiences in Iraq
Alarcón memorial lecturer focuses on problems of surge
Breann Schossow
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
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"Salaam, shalom, peace," Rasouli said as he greeted the audience.
Rasouli was born in Iraq, but moved to the Minneapolis area and opened Sinbad's Café and Market, 2528 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, which was not only a restaurant, but a cultural center, said Mike Miles of the Northwoods Peace Initiative and friend of Rasouli's.
According to a university press release, Rasouli left Sinbad's and moved back to Iraq four years ago and founded the Muslim Peacemakers Team in 1986. He also has dual citizenship and speaks both languages.
"He's 100 percent Iraqi. He's 100 percent American," Miles said.
Touching topics such as the recent events in Basra, Iraqi casualties and his personal experiences in the country, Rasouli, talked about the Iraqi people throughout the lecture to demonstrate his main point - that the U.S. occupation is not working for Iraqis.
"Is the surge good for the Iraqis?" he asked. "Absolutely not."
Another point Rasouli spoke of was trust. For example, in the food service area (in the Green Zone), there are no Iraqi workers, he said. The Iraqi police force is used as a shield for American soldiers and does not have the proper equipment. This, Rasouli said, is because there is a lack of trust for the Iraqi people, and said he hopes the war will end as soon as possible.
"(When the) war stops definitely, people will evolve … when they get responsibility and their country back," he said.
According to the Muslim Peacemakers Team Web site, its goal is to unite the Iraqi people through peace while helping them become self-sufficient. Current goals include teaching about peace and human rights as well as assisting the Iraqi people with their physical health and sanitation education.
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