Iraqi

Think of Iraqis and the first name that strikes the mind is that of the notorious dictator Saddam Hussein. And why not, for he remained the face of Iraq for almost two decades, presiding over the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War. The brutality of this condemned man was finally over in 2003 when US invaded Iraq and dethroned him from power. Saddam was hanged to death in 2006 following charges of killing 148 Iraqi Shi’ites. However, Saddam Hussein is not the only famous Iraqi of the country. Nouri al-Maliki, a world leader and politician, served as the prime minister of Iraq. He was responsible for drafting Iraq’s constitution. He also played a key role in drafting the Status of Forces agreement with the United States that mandated American forces be out of Iraqi cities by June 2009. Ignatius Zakka is yet another prominent Iraqi figure. A religious leader, he dedicated his entire life for bridging the gap between the different Christian churches. In 1980, he served as the head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church. And who can forget the contribution made by Iraqi architect, Hisham N. Ashkouri, an urban planner who was the key to the reconstruction of Kabul. With this segment, find out more about famous Iraqis, their life and their works.