Racism in Iraq

BAGHDAD - Abdul Hussein Abdul Razzaq laughs wearily when asked whether racism is a problem in his homeland. As a black Iraqi, Razzaq says, he faces job and social discrimination and has little chance of getting a political appointment or being elected to public office.

That's why Razzaq, a longtime journalist from Basra, is hoping that Barack Obama becomes the next president of the United States. Not only will it be better for Americans, he says, it will help black people the world over.

"It will prove that Americans are recognizing that black people are just as capable as white people," he said. "It will be a historic accomplishment for black people all over the world if Barack Obama wins."

Racism isn't new in Iraq. Black slaves were brought here from Africa more than 1,000 years ago to work for wealthy landowners in Basra, where much of Iraq's black population still lives. Today, Razzaq says, one of the insults sometimes hurled at black people is "abd," which means servant or slave in Arabic.
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