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June 28, 2004

Books for Iraq

This is a great idea (via InstaPundit).

I have volunteered to help Dr. Safaa al-Hamdani, a biology professor at Jacksonville State University (another school here in Alabama) in a book drive to collect texts to help populate the Baghdad University library, which, between post-war looting and multi-decade neglect by the Saddam regime is in serious need of help.

Textbooks are important. But I think there should be room for some novels in there. I was attempting charades after a drink or three. The game was limited to titles of books and plays and I was having no luck miming "1984". I got around the problem by the expedient of signing out the individual numbers (and was accused of cheating for what was clearly inspired improvisation). My charades partner had no idea what book I was talking about. This was an intelligent, politically engaged woman... who had just moved to London from South Africa. I expect Orwell was not a hit in apartheid libraries. I expect the University of Bagdhad could use a copy.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at June 28, 2004 08:28 AM

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Comments

Even though that's a good idea, Flea, it probably should be limited to textbooks -- and preferably only science and math ones -- to reduce the possibility of Chomsky-style crap getting sent over there. That's the last thing we would need...

Posted by: Varenius at June 28, 2004 03:43 PM

Chomsky-Crap? Does that mean we should censor books to a leading University because we think they are crap? I asked my wildly conservative cousin in Texas to donate some "fake-science" books because he does not agree with liberal education and maybe there are people like him in Iraq--I think it is stupid, but it is not for me to judge. Hey, I believe in modern science and evolution, but my cousin thinks it is crap because no one will discuss his idiotic ideas with him. I think we should not be afraid to discuss all ideas. Ideas are not people, they are just ideas.

Posted by: Mollie Hughes at July 13, 2004 03:02 PM

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