A student at Al-Rafidain College in Iraq puts a picture of Saddam Hussein on her graduation cap (social networking sites)

Today, Thursday, March 7, 2024, an Iraqi university decided to expel one of its students due to the circulation of a video in which she appeared wearing a picture of former President Saddam Hussein on her graduation cap, which sparked widespread controversy on social media platforms.

Iraq Press

For placing a picture of Saddam Hussein on her graduation cap at Al-Rafidain College in Baghdad, a student was referred for investigation for committing a “legal prohibition” according to the Iraqi constitution pic.twitter.com/9rhDgH6pbi

- Iraq Press (@aliraqplus) March 7, 2024

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Al-Rafidain University College in the capital, Baghdad, said in a statement, “Based on what was stated in the minutes of the Student Discipline Committee of the student (Abeer Tariq Alwan) in the Department of Medical Laboratory Technology/Fourth Stage, and in view of her violation of controls and instructions by placing a picture of the deceased tyrant (Saddam Hussein) on a hat.” Graduation during graduation photo ceremonies on campus.

The statement published on the Instagram platform added, “It was decided to promote (strike out) the student’s registration for violating the instructions and controls of the university campus, based on Article 5 of Student Discipline Instructions No. (160) of 2007.”

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Al-Rafidain University College (@ruc1988)

The dismissal decision came hours after the decision to refer the student for investigation for her involvement in committing a prohibited act according to Law No. 32 of 2016, which bans the dissolved Baath Party and prevents it from returning to political activity under any name.

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The law approved by the Iraqi Parliament punishes anyone who belongs to, glorifies or promotes the Baath Party with imprisonment for various periods of up to 15 years.

Anbar University permanently expelled 3 students from the College of Agriculture in December 2018, and punished others by expelling them for one academic year, against the backdrop of raising a picture of Saddam Hussein on campus, during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the university’s founding.

At the Anbar University celebration.. a picture of #Saddam_Hussein was drawn and raised high in the hands 🇮🇶 pic.twitter.com/7iDzGZwtFD

- Passerby (@almhyyb) December 24, 2018

At the time, the incident sparked mixed reactions between supporters and opponents, reaching the point where parliamentary blocs demanded former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to take measures against the university and its students.

On December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein was executed. This coincided with the first day of Eid al-Adha, after he ruled Iraq for about 24 years, extending from 1979 until 2003, when American forces arrested him near his hometown of Tikrit. After a search trip that lasted about 8 months since the fall of Baghdad on April 9, 2003.

Source: Al Jazeera + Iraqi press + social networking sites