Baghdad College
Encyclopedia
Baghdad College is an elite high school
for boys in Baghdad
, Iraq
. It is among the nation's most highly regarded preparatory schools, boasting several well-known alumni and countless Iraqi professionals and intellectuals now living throughout the world. The school was initially located at 11/45 Murabba'ah Street in Baghdad, on the east bank of the Tigris River.
In 1931, at the request of the Chaldean
Patriarch of Baghdad and at the direction of Pope Pius XI
, a group of four American Jesuits arrived in Baghdad and established Baghdad College as a secondary school for boys. Known as "BC
on the Tigris", the school was staffed with priests from the New England Jesuit Province.
While Baghdad's Christians welcomed the Jesuits, Muslims were initially suspicious of their intentions. Muslims eventually embraced the institution as it became clear that the Jesuits' mission was to provide a rich education, and not a wholesale conversion of Muslims. The trust grew as the Jesuits at Baghdad College enthusiastically participated in Muslim and Christian feasts in the homes of their students. The commingling of traditions, cultures, and religions led to an unanticipated infusion of intellectual curiosity into the Baghdad community. Before the establishment of Baghdad College, prominent Baghdad families had sent their sons to Victoria College
in Alexandria, Egypt. Baghdad College's closer proximity and superior education reversed this trend, and a network of contacts from well-known families grew out of the school.
During the pro-Nazi coup of Baghdad during World War II
, the American Jesuits of the college continued their work when other Americans were fleeing. Their behavior was said to have impressed Iraq's Prime Minister so much that he enrolled his two sons in the school after the coup was put down.
Through the 1950s, the make-up of Baghdad College's student body was approximately 50% Muslim, 35% Catholic, and 15% Eastern Orthodox. Before the Jewish exodus of 1948-1951, Jews also constituted a significant proportion of the student body. Over time, the 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) campus grew to include nine major buildings, a boarding school, a minor seminary, a library, and laboratories. The success of Baghdad College led the Jesuits to establish another Baghdad school in 1956: Al-Hikma University
.
with Israel
. The American Jesuits remained at the school despite the exodus of most Americans from Iraq.
In 1968, the Baathist coup drastically changed the country's political landscape. Private schools, Muslim and Christian alike, were nationalized, as had been done a decade earlier in Syria
. Rejecting the pleas of Muslim professors at Baghdad University, the Baathist government seized Al-Hikma University and ordered the Al-Hikma Jesuits out of Iraq in November 1968, the first government of Iraq to do so Ignoring the warnings of the Baathists, hundreds of students gathered at the airport to bid farewell to the Jesuit Fathers, affectionately referred to by the Iraqis as fadheria. The government subsequently took control of Baghdad College on August 24, 1969 and gave the remaining 33 Jesuits three days to leave Iraq. In total, 145 Jesuits worked at Baghdad College. Five are buried next to the school's chapel, land that still belongs to the Society of Jesus
. Baghdad College has remained a public institution since the Jesuit expulsion, and has retained its elite status.
During the 1980s, both Qusay
and Uday Hussein
, sons of Iraq's ruler, Saddam Hussein
, attended the school, each terrorizing students and staff and flouting the school's strict rules. In an interview with the New York Times, school headmaster Yacob Yusef noted of the two brothers: "Qusay was very stupid; he got a 4 percent on one of his midterm examinations. Uday was smarter, sometimes the teachers would answer the questions for him." Omar al-Tikriti, son of Iraqi secret service leader Sabawi al-Tikriti, ran for student representative. When he received only two votes, his bodyguards beat the winner, leaving him paralyzed. All students were required to attend classes on Saddam Hussein.
In late 1993, Uday Hussein appointed himself as the school's president and immediately relieved the headmaster, Qutaiba Al-Durubi, from his duties. The plan was to restore the school to its pre-nationalization status, beginning with the appointments of Laith Al-Qassab, Muwaffak Al-Sam'ani, and Farid Arseen as Dean
, Assistant Dean for Science Affairs, and Assistant Dean for Students Affairs, respectively.
In the summer of 1994, more than 70 students and teachers were forced to trensfer to other schools by an executive order from Saddam Hussein's Presidential Office. Among those forced out were Kurds and Turkmen and some who had non-Iraqi nationalities. The students and teachers were unable to complain or even mention the action in public, and it was not mentioned in the papers or on television news. The move was part of a plan by Muwaffak Al-Sam'ani, a graduate of both Baghdad College and Al-Hikma University and a professor at Al-Hikma University for several years during the 1960s, to restore the school's prestige. All scientific subjects were converted to the English language
, some additional curricula were added, and the best teachers in the country were more or less forced to transfer to Baghdad College. Many of the original Jesuit-era traditions were restored including Al-Iraqi, the school's once famous yearbook
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for boys in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq
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....
. It is among the nation's most highly regarded preparatory schools, boasting several well-known alumni and countless Iraqi professionals and intellectuals now living throughout the world. The school was initially located at 11/45 Murabba'ah Street in Baghdad, on the east bank of the Tigris River.
Jesuit tradition
Chaldean Christians
Chaldean Christians are ethnic Assyrian adherents of the Chaldean Catholic Church, most of whom entered communion with the Catholic Church from the Church of the East, which was already Catholic, but most wanted to stray away from the Catholic Church, causing the split in the 17th and 18th...
Patriarch of Baghdad and at the direction of Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
, a group of four American Jesuits arrived in Baghdad and established Baghdad College as a secondary school for boys. Known as "BC
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
on the Tigris", the school was staffed with priests from the New England Jesuit Province.
While Baghdad's Christians welcomed the Jesuits, Muslims were initially suspicious of their intentions. Muslims eventually embraced the institution as it became clear that the Jesuits' mission was to provide a rich education, and not a wholesale conversion of Muslims. The trust grew as the Jesuits at Baghdad College enthusiastically participated in Muslim and Christian feasts in the homes of their students. The commingling of traditions, cultures, and religions led to an unanticipated infusion of intellectual curiosity into the Baghdad community. Before the establishment of Baghdad College, prominent Baghdad families had sent their sons to Victoria College
Victoria College, Alexandria
Victoria College, Alexandria, was founded in 1902 under the impetus of the recently ennobled Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer of the Barings Bank, that was heavily invested in Egyptian stability. For years the British Consul-General was ex officio on the board of Victoria College...
in Alexandria, Egypt. Baghdad College's closer proximity and superior education reversed this trend, and a network of contacts from well-known families grew out of the school.
During the pro-Nazi coup of Baghdad during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the American Jesuits of the college continued their work when other Americans were fleeing. Their behavior was said to have impressed Iraq's Prime Minister so much that he enrolled his two sons in the school after the coup was put down.
Through the 1950s, the make-up of Baghdad College's student body was approximately 50% Muslim, 35% Catholic, and 15% Eastern Orthodox. Before the Jewish exodus of 1948-1951, Jews also constituted a significant proportion of the student body. Over time, the 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) campus grew to include nine major buildings, a boarding school, a minor seminary, a library, and laboratories. The success of Baghdad College led the Jesuits to establish another Baghdad school in 1956: Al-Hikma University
Al-Hikma University (Baghdad)
Al-Hikma University in Baghdad was founded in 1956 by Jesuit priests from the New England Province of the Society of Jesus. It was located at Zaafarania, on the southern outskirts of Baghdad and was an extension of the work of the Jesuits who had a permanent presence in Baghdad since four Jesuits...
.
Baathist nationalization
The Jesuits had deliberately avoided involvement in politics, but the threat of their expulsion from Iraq had always lingered. Despite wide acceptance in the Baghdad community, each government crisis offered an opportunity for successive governments to expel the Jesuits. Signals of serious trouble arose in 1967 when the American Embassy in Iraq closed as a result of the Six-Day WarSix-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The American Jesuits remained at the school despite the exodus of most Americans from Iraq.
In 1968, the Baathist coup drastically changed the country's political landscape. Private schools, Muslim and Christian alike, were nationalized, as had been done a decade earlier in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Rejecting the pleas of Muslim professors at Baghdad University, the Baathist government seized Al-Hikma University and ordered the Al-Hikma Jesuits out of Iraq in November 1968, the first government of Iraq to do so Ignoring the warnings of the Baathists, hundreds of students gathered at the airport to bid farewell to the Jesuit Fathers, affectionately referred to by the Iraqis as fadheria. The government subsequently took control of Baghdad College on August 24, 1969 and gave the remaining 33 Jesuits three days to leave Iraq. In total, 145 Jesuits worked at Baghdad College. Five are buried next to the school's chapel, land that still belongs to the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. Baghdad College has remained a public institution since the Jesuit expulsion, and has retained its elite status.
1980s to present
Qusay Hussein
Qusay Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti was the second son of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. He was appointed as his father's heir apparent in 2000.- Family :...
and Uday Hussein
Uday Hussein
Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...
, sons of Iraq's ruler, 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...
, attended the school, each terrorizing students and staff and flouting the school's strict rules. In an interview with the New York Times, school headmaster Yacob Yusef noted of the two brothers: "Qusay was very stupid; he got a 4 percent on one of his midterm examinations. Uday was smarter, sometimes the teachers would answer the questions for him." Omar al-Tikriti, son of Iraqi secret service leader Sabawi al-Tikriti, ran for student representative. When he received only two votes, his bodyguards beat the winner, leaving him paralyzed. All students were required to attend classes on Saddam Hussein.
In late 1993, Uday Hussein appointed himself as the school's president and immediately relieved the headmaster, Qutaiba Al-Durubi, from his duties. The plan was to restore the school to its pre-nationalization status, beginning with the appointments of Laith Al-Qassab, Muwaffak Al-Sam'ani, and Farid Arseen as Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
, Assistant Dean for Science Affairs, and Assistant Dean for Students Affairs, respectively.
In the summer of 1994, more than 70 students and teachers were forced to trensfer to other schools by an executive order from Saddam Hussein's Presidential Office. Among those forced out were Kurds and Turkmen and some who had non-Iraqi nationalities. The students and teachers were unable to complain or even mention the action in public, and it was not mentioned in the papers or on television news. The move was part of a plan by Muwaffak Al-Sam'ani, a graduate of both Baghdad College and Al-Hikma University and a professor at Al-Hikma University for several years during the 1960s, to restore the school's prestige. All scientific subjects were converted to the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, some additional curricula were added, and the best teachers in the country were more or less forced to transfer to Baghdad College. Many of the original Jesuit-era traditions were restored including Al-Iraqi, the school's once famous yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
.
Notable alumni
- Ayad Allawi, former Interim Prime Minister of Iraq
- Omar al-TikritiOmar al-TikritiOmar al-Tikriti is the son of Sabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti and nephew of Saddam Hussein. He is a graduate of Baghdad College, in Baghdad, Iraq. In July 2005, the United States Treasury Department blocked his assets and those of his brothers Yasir Al-Tikriti, Ayman Al-Tikriti, Ibrahim Al-Tikriti,...
, son of Iraqi secret service leader Sabawi al-TikritiSabawi Ibrahim al-TikritiSabawi Ibrahim al-Tikriti , half brother of Saddam Hussein, was the leader of the Iraqi secret service, the Mukhabarat, at the time of the 1991 Gulf War... - Ahmad Chalabi, Iraqi politician, former Interim Oil Minister, and former Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq.
- Uday HusseinUday HusseinUday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...
, son of Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003... - Qusay HusseinQusay HusseinQusay Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti was the second son of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. He was appointed as his father's heir apparent in 2000.- Family :...
, son of Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003... - Adil Abdul Mahdi, Iraqi politician, economist, and Vice President of Iraq from 2005 to 2011.
- Kanan MakiyaKanan MakiyaKanan Makiya is an Iraqi academic, who gained British nationality in 1982. He is the Sylvia K. Hassenfeld Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Brandeis University...
, author and founder of the Iraq Memory Foundation.
Sources
- Dexter FilkinsDexter FilkinsDexter Price Filkins is an American journalist known primarily for his coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for The New York Times. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for his dispatches from Afghanistan, and he won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 as part of a team of New York Times...
, "Boys of Baghdad College Vie for Prime Minister", New York Times, December 12, 2005