History is written by the victors

History Taboo in Iraq Schools

Jamil Haydan gets confused whenever he goes through the history of Iraq in the school books. "I feel like there is a gap in the history, specially recent events," the 14-year-old student at a Baghdad school told IslamOnline. "We are treated as if we are unable to know what happens in Iraq, but we are."

The history of the Arab country since the 2003 US-led invasion is completely absent from school textbooks. American troops, George W. Bush and the sectarian violence that plagued the country for years after the invasion are non-existent whether in books or even class discussions. Former president Saddam Hussein, who was ousted by the US and later executed by the Iraqi government, and his longtime ruling Baath party are taboos.

The government admits that banning certain chapters of Iraq's recent history from textbooks is deliberate.