Law Professor Bill Quigley returned from a trip to Iraq last Friday, but instead of spending his Saturday sleeping off his journey, he joined about 20 people in a protest on St. Charles Avenue against the looming war on Iraq.
He continued sharing his message Tuesday night when more than 150 people turned out to listen as he recounted his journey to Iraq.
Quigley was part of a six-person group that made the trip through the national organization Voices in the Wilderness, which opposes U.S. bombing in Iraq.
His group met with Christian and Muslim leaders, United Nations officials, workers in universities and hospitals, and even a CNN crew that included Wolf Blitzer.
Quigley’s group was able to deliver medicine to people in Iraq. In addition, he was able to spend time speaking with them.
“The most amazing thing I saw was not a single person shake their fist at me. We talked to hundreds of people. Only one person said they loved their president.
By seeing these people, I saw they are just like us,” said Quigley.He said many of the Iraqis were afraid of the impending war with the United States.
He spoke of the time he visited a classroom and one of the students asked, “Is your country going to declare war on us? Are they going to bomb us?”
He quoted UNICEF statistics estimating that half a million Iraqi children under the age of five have died as a result of sanctions in Iraq since the Gulf War.
Lisa Amman and Philip Steger of Voices in the Wildernes, joined in the presentation. It was sponsored by the Loyola University Sociology Student Organization, Amnesty International, the Loyola University Community Action Program and Pax Christi.
“I thought it was a good opportunity to show that LUSSO cares about social issues,” said LUSSO president Julia Stackler, communications senior.
Amnesty International president Stephanie Margherio, English junior, remarked that she saw few Loyola professors in the audience.
“The fact that the community showed up and the professors didn’t surprised me. There were a few, but I would have expected more, partly because Bill’s one of their fellow professors,” she said.
Many who did show up were outspoken in their distrust of President Bush’s agenda.
“I know about the suffering of the children of Iraq. President Bush works out of a paradigm. In order to destroy Saddam, he’s willing to destroy half the people in Iraq,” said Sister Helen Prejean, a two-time Nobel Prize nominee and author of “Dead Man Walking,” who attended the presentation.
“There are 24 million people in this country (Iraq) that are not named Saddam Hussein,” said Quigley.
Quigley said the people of Iraq offered sympathy to the people of the United States about Sept. 11.
“We took no glory or delight in the suffering of your country,” a man told Quigley in Iraq.
Quigley urged those in the audience who oppose war with Iraq to make their wishes know to their senators and congressperson.
“If there is a message that I have to bring back, it is that we must make a tremendous effort. . . We have to stand up and take action,” said Quigley.
Bill Quigley, far right, recently returned from Iraq, braves the rain Saturday to lead a protest rally with other anti-war protestors in front of Loyola. Those present held signs and attempted to persuade the opinions of passing cars. (Pamelah Howard)
