Safia Taleb Ali al-Suhail
Encyclopedia
Safia Taleb Ali al-Suhail is an Iraq
i politician and a member
of the Council of Representatives of Iraq who was elected
in December 2005 for the secular Iraqi National List
.
, was himself also the leader of the Banu Tamim
tribe. He fled Iraq with his family to Lebanon
after the Baath Party
coup of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
in 1968. Safia later lived in Amman
, Washington
and Paris
.
Sheikh al-Tamimi was assassinated in Beirut
in 1994, reportedly after planning a coup against Saddam Hussein which was foiled when the United States allegedly tipped off Hussein. Safia took over her father's opposition role, arming opposition Iraqi groups, editing the opposition newspaper Al Manar Al Arabi and becoming the advocacy director for the International Alliance for Justice, a Paris-based human rights organisation.
In December 2002 she met Prime Minister Tony Blair
to report the human rights abuses in Iraq under Saddam Hussein
. The following month she wrote an article criticising the United Nations for investigating weapons of mass destruction
but not investigating "crimes against the Iraqi people". She called for the establishment of a UN Commission to investigate human rights abuses and for Saddam Hussein to be indicted for genocide
and crimes against humanity.
She was also appointed in December 2003 as a member of the anti-Saddam Hussein opposition in exile "Follow-Up and Arrangement Committee
" as a member of the "National Campaign to Free Iraq from Dictatorship".
In June 2004, her Kurdish husband, Bakhtyar Amin which happens to also have a dual nationality being French, was appointed Minister of Human Rights in the Iraqi Interim Government
of Iyad Allawi
. The following month, al-Suhail was appointed as Iraqi Ambassador to Egypt
., this was denied later on by Al-Suhail for accusations to the Foreign Minister of Iraq at the time Hoshyar Zebari that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employs large numbers of Baathists.
In February 2005 she appeared next to Laura Bush for President George W Bush's 2005 State of the Union Address
as leader of the "Iraqi Women's Political Council". She then put herself forward as a candidate for the President of Iraq
.
During negotiations over the Constitution of Iraq
she called for Islam to be made "a main source" for legislation and not "the main source". She complained that the gains in women's rights
since 1959 had been lost. This was considered one of the first statements made by an Iraqi official revealing the deteriorating women's rights status in post invasion Iraq in comparison to the Baathist Regime.
In November 2005 she was reported to have started a list - the "Iraqi Pledge Coalition" - with other Iraqi Women to campaign in the forthcoming elections
to amend Article 39 of the Constitution of Iraq
which deals with personal status law. However, following the elections she was nominated a member
of the Council of Representatives of Iraq for the secular Iraqi National List
of Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
In September 2007 she was reported to have left the Iraqi National List
for the same reason she refused her ambassadorship to Egypt, grouping in the Council of Representatives, complaining that Allawi was highhanded and had many former Baathists amongst his ranks.
She is particularly visible in Council of Representatives (parliament) proceedings as she is the only member who doesn't speak with an Iraqi accent. Instead she speaks with a Lebanese accent.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i politician and a member
Members of the 1st Iraqi Council of Representatives
The members of the first Iraqi Council of Representatives were elected in December 2005 under the newly-adopted constitution.The main functions of the Council were to:...
of the Council of Representatives of Iraq who was elected
Iraqi legislative election, December 2005
Following the ratification of the Constitution of Iraq on 15 October 2005, a general election was held on 15 December to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives....
in December 2005 for the secular Iraqi National List
Iraqi National List
The Iraqi National List is a coalition of Iraqi political parties who ran in the December 2005 Iraqi elections and got 8.0% of the vote and 25 out of 275 seats...
.
Background
Safia was born in 1965 to a Lebanese mother. Her father, Sheikh Taleb al-Souhail al-TamimiTalib al-Suhail al-Tamimi
TĀLIB AL-SUHAIL AL-TAMĪMĪ leader of the Iraqi Banī Tamīm was assassinated by the Iraqi Intelligence Service in Beirut .His daughter Safia al-Suhail was a guest during the State of the Union and was appointed Iraq's ambassador to Egypt....
, was himself also the leader of the Banu Tamim
Banu Tamim
Banī Tamīm Tamim is one of the largest of all Arab tribes. Their history goes back to pre-Islamic times....
tribe. He fled Iraq with his family to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
after the Baath Party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
coup of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr , was the fourth President of Iraq from 1968 to 1979.-Military career:...
in 1968. Safia later lived in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Sheikh al-Tamimi was assassinated in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
in 1994, reportedly after planning a coup against Saddam Hussein which was foiled when the United States allegedly tipped off Hussein. Safia took over her father's opposition role, arming opposition Iraqi groups, editing the opposition newspaper Al Manar Al Arabi and becoming the advocacy director for the International Alliance for Justice, a Paris-based human rights organisation.
In December 2002 she met Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
to report the human rights abuses in Iraq under Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. The following month she wrote an article criticising the United Nations for investigating weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
but not investigating "crimes against the Iraqi people". She called for the establishment of a UN Commission to investigate human rights abuses and for Saddam Hussein to be indicted for genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and crimes against humanity.
She was also appointed in December 2003 as a member of the anti-Saddam Hussein opposition in exile "Follow-Up and Arrangement Committee
Follow-Up and Arrangement Committee
The Follow Up and Arrangement Committee was an alliance of Iraqi opposition groups formed in the run up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.-Members:The members of the committee were:...
" as a member of the "National Campaign to Free Iraq from Dictatorship".
Return to Iraq
al-Suhail returned to Iraq following the Invasion of Iraq in March 2003 by the United States and allied forces.In June 2004, her Kurdish husband, Bakhtyar Amin which happens to also have a dual nationality being French, was appointed Minister of Human Rights in the Iraqi Interim Government
Iraqi Interim Government
The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30, 2005...
of Iyad Allawi
Iyad Allawi
Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative elections. A prominent Iraqi political activist who lived in exile for almost 30 years, the politically secular Shia Muslim became a member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council, which...
. The following month, al-Suhail was appointed as Iraqi Ambassador to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
., this was denied later on by Al-Suhail for accusations to the Foreign Minister of Iraq at the time Hoshyar Zebari that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs employs large numbers of Baathists.
In February 2005 she appeared next to Laura Bush for President George W Bush's 2005 State of the Union Address
2005 State of the Union address
The 2005 State of the Union Address was delivered by United States President George W. Bush on Wednesday, February 2, 2005, in Washington, D.C. to a joint session of the U.S...
as leader of the "Iraqi Women's Political Council". She then put herself forward as a candidate for the President of Iraq
President of Iraq
The President of Iraq is the head of state of Iraq and "safeguards the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, the security of its territories in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution." The President is elected by the Council of...
.
During negotiations over the Constitution of Iraq
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of Iraq is Iraq's fundamental law.-History:Iraq's first constitution, which established a constitutional monarchy, entered into force under the auspices of a British military occupation in 1925 and remained in effect until the 1958 revolution established a republic...
she called for Islam to be made "a main source" for legislation and not "the main source". She complained that the gains in women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
since 1959 had been lost. This was considered one of the first statements made by an Iraqi official revealing the deteriorating women's rights status in post invasion Iraq in comparison to the Baathist Regime.
In November 2005 she was reported to have started a list - the "Iraqi Pledge Coalition" - with other Iraqi Women to campaign in the forthcoming elections
Iraqi legislative election, December 2005
Following the ratification of the Constitution of Iraq on 15 October 2005, a general election was held on 15 December to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi Council of Representatives....
to amend Article 39 of the Constitution of Iraq
Constitution of Iraq
The Constitution of Iraq is Iraq's fundamental law.-History:Iraq's first constitution, which established a constitutional monarchy, entered into force under the auspices of a British military occupation in 1925 and remained in effect until the 1958 revolution established a republic...
which deals with personal status law. However, following the elections she was nominated a member
Members of the 1st Iraqi Council of Representatives
The members of the first Iraqi Council of Representatives were elected in December 2005 under the newly-adopted constitution.The main functions of the Council were to:...
of the Council of Representatives of Iraq for the secular Iraqi National List
Iraqi National List
The Iraqi National List is a coalition of Iraqi political parties who ran in the December 2005 Iraqi elections and got 8.0% of the vote and 25 out of 275 seats...
of Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
In September 2007 she was reported to have left the Iraqi National List
Iraqi National List
The Iraqi National List is a coalition of Iraqi political parties who ran in the December 2005 Iraqi elections and got 8.0% of the vote and 25 out of 275 seats...
for the same reason she refused her ambassadorship to Egypt, grouping in the Council of Representatives, complaining that Allawi was highhanded and had many former Baathists amongst his ranks.
She is particularly visible in Council of Representatives (parliament) proceedings as she is the only member who doesn't speak with an Iraqi accent. Instead she speaks with a Lebanese accent.
Literature
- Johanna Awad-Geissler: Safia. Eine Scheichtochter kämpft für ihr Land. Droemer, München 2006. Safia, la hija de un jeque lucha por el futuro de Irak. Maeva, Madrid 2004. De muze van Bagdad. Arena, Amsterdam, 2005.