The Women’s Affairs Unit at the College of Islamic Sciences, in collaboration with the Martyrs Foundation, organized a cultural and historical festival under the slogan “Lest We Forget the Crimes of the Defunct Ba’ath Party.”

The festival began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem and a moment of silence with the recitation of Surat Al-Fatiha in honor of Iraq’s martyrs.

In his speech, the Dean of the College, Professor Dr. Muhammad Hussein Aboud Al-Taie, highlighted the oppressive methods used by the former regime against innocent civilians, as well as the massacres and brutal attacks carried out against the Iraqi people. He also addressed the regime’s violations against sacred sites and its suppression of free speech.

Mr. Adnan Al-Asadi, Media Director at the Martyrs Foundation, delivered a speech on the causes and outcomes of the 1991 Sha’ban Uprising, detailing human rights violations committed by the former regime. He also presented statistics on mass graves discovered since the regime’s fall in 2003, along with data on recovered remains and documents.

The festival featured an academic seminar presented by Assistant Lecturer Basim Jabbar, who discussed the regime’s massacres against scholars, religious figures, and defenseless civilians. Additionally, a documentary film was screened, illustrating the repressive tactics of the former regime. An exhibition showcased images of mass graves, along with a book fair highlighting this dark period in Iraq’s history.