An Iraqi Hero

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In today’s American Spectator online, I have a piece about the Iraqi Parliamentarian Mithal al-Alusi, whose sons were murdered in February 2005 following his visit to Israel to attend a counterterrorism conference there. Over the weekend, I received an alarming e-mail from al-Alusi’s friend Esther Kandel, who alerted me that, following another trip to Israel last week, this courageous man’s life is in imminent danger from those in Iraq who would crush human rights and preserve the historical status quo: brutality, scapegoating of Israel, resistance to progress and democracy.

Mithal al-Alusi was elected to the Iraqi Parliament as an independent, his grassroots political party, Democratic Party of the Iraqi Nation, championing human rights, religious pluralism, free markets, and a free press. A ideological pioneer in the middle east, this courageous man has publicly shared his view that Israel is “a modern state and an important part of the middle east.” He has advocated a modern Iraq with democratic values and strong cooperative ties to the U.S. as a terror-fighting ally. He has made frequent appearances at women’s rallies in Baghdad. He has championed the rights of the vulnerable. Refusing to lose faith in his fellow Iraqis, he has always stressed that the brutality in his country stems from the minority of violent extremists; the majority truly desire peace. As the late Tom Lantos said of him: “Mithal al-Alusi is a man of outstanding moral courage and physical bravery. He personifies the values that all of us hope will define the new Iraq.”

Raise awareness about his plight however you can. He needs U.S. support and the prayers of all who value life and liberty.

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