أفكار حُـرّة : رئيس التحرير محمد حسين النجفي
صوت معتدل للدفاع عن حقوق الأنسان والعدالة الأجتماعية مع اهتمام خاص بشؤون العراق
The Iraqi Marshlands (Al-Ahwar)
Congratulations to all Iraqis, in particular the Iraqi people who live or used to live in the Southern Marshland. This good news is the result of the sincere efforts of many organizations and individuals who worked in different stages and times, and in a variety of capacities. To name a few; I will mention my friend Azzam Alwash who devoted his full energy to this cause, Dr. Hasan Al-Janabi who wrote and work after 2003 to revive the live in the Marshland, the members of Iraqi Civilian Aid (London), UNESCO, and also many wetland experts and environmental advocates. The UNESCO decision to list the Iraqi Marshland as a protected territory is not a privilege as many people may have interpreted. It puts a higher responsibility on the federal and local government. It puts more responsibilities on the environment activists, the local tribal leaders and landlords. The UNESCO decision calls for the protection and the preservation of this rich natural, cultural, and historical environment. And to prevent it from being wrongly exploited as a tourist attraction, or reckless oil exploration and extraction.