Memorial Meeting in Baghdad on 1st Anniversary of Martyrdom of Kamel Shiaa

Iraqi CP holds Memorial Meeting in Baghdad
on 1st Anniversary of Martyrdom
of Kamel Shiaa

A memorial meeting was held by the Iraqi Communist Party in Baghdad on the 1st anniversary of the martyrdom of comrade Kamel Shiaa, the prominent Iraqi intellectual and communist who was cowardly assassinated in Baghdad on 23 August 2008.

The event was held in the meeting hall of Ulwiya Club, Fardos Square, in central Baghdad on Saturday 22 August 2009. It was attended by Central Committee members of Iraqi CP and many political and cultural figures and organizations.

Memorial meeting in Holland

for Iraq's martyr Kamil Shiaa

A memorial meeting for the prominent Iraqi intellectual and communist, Kamel Shiaa, was held on Friday 5th September in the city of Den Haag (The Hague). The event, organised by the Iraqi Communist Party organisation in Holland, was attended by numerous intellectuals; writers and artists, as well as comrades and friends of Kamil who had been deeply shocked by his cowardly assassination in Baghdad on 23 August 2008. Among the participants was the well-known Egyptian thinker Dr. Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid.

The program of the event included numerous speeches, delivered by representatives of political, democratic, cultural and community organisations, strongly condemning the crime and demanding urgent action by the Iraqi authorities to pursue and punish the perpetrators. The long list of organisations included branches of Iraqi Women's League and Iraqi Democratic Youth Federation.

Among speakers were artists and writers, including the literary critic Yassin al-Nasier who had met Kamel in Baghdad in the summer. He said that the killers "wanted to strike the heart, so they struck the Communist party.. They wanted to strike the culture, so they killed an intellectual renowned for his tolerance." Poems were recited, and a piece of music composed by Qassim al-Sa'idi was played in memory of Kamil. The program also included a musical performance by Wisam Ayoub on the traditional instrument santur, as well as an exhibition of four paintings by artist Qassim al-Sa'di, about Baghdad and a life that is full of pain and hope, dedicated to Kamil who loved art so much.

Iraqi Writers' Union condemns the assassination
of culture ministry adviser

Baghdad, 23 August 2008 (Voices of Iraq)

Head of the Iraqi Authors' Union on Saturday condemned the assassination of Kamil Shiaa, the culture ministry adviser, calling on the Iraqi government to find the assassins.

"The Iraqi Authors' Union considers the assassination of Shiaa as an ugly crime, and we feel so sorry for losing him," Fadhil Thamir told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

"I call on the Iraqi government to find the evil hands that committed this crime," he said.

Thamir expressed his sincere condolences to Shiaa's family and colleagues.

Earlier today, unidentified gunmen assassinated a culture ministry advisor after they intercepted his vehicle on a road in central Baghdad, according to an Iraqi police source.

"The gunmen opened their machine-gun fire on the vehicle of Kamil Shiaa near the Muhammad al-Qassem highway and showered him with bullets, killing him instantly and seriously injuring his driver," the source, who asked that his name not be mentioned, told VOI.

Shiaa's driver was rushed to a nearby hospital, the source added. The reported assassination was confirmed by Rabah, the culture ministry advisor's brother.

UNESCO chief deplores murder of senior Iraqi cultural official

UNESCO chief deplores murder of senior Iraqi cultural official

26 August 2008 – The head of the United Nations culture agency today condemned the murder of a senior Iraqi Government official who had long worked to protect and preserve his country’s cultural heritage.

Kamel Shiya, 57, an adviser at the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in central Baghdad on Saturday afternoon.

UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura issued a statement describing the killing as a crime against Iraqi society and a sad loss for UNESCO.

“Those who murdered this champion of Iraq’s reconstruction must be seen for what they are: criminals working against the interests of the people of Iraq,” Mr. Matsuura said, offering his condolences to Mr. Shiya’s family, friends and colleagues.

“Mr. Shiya was a devoted public servant who was committed to the safeguarding of Iraq’s rich cultural heritage,” Mr. Matsuura added.

Since 2003, Mr. Shiya – who was a philosopher by training and a well-known cultural critic – served as UNESCO’s focal point in the Ministry of Culture. He also chaired the National Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq.