Baghdad College

I went to dinner last night with my Mom, aunt and cousin, and we got to talking about Father Michael McCarthy (what does one call the first cousin of his grandfather?). My Mom mentioned that a lot of the players in the reconstruction of Iraq actually attended Baghdad College back in the 1950's. Here's a good NYT article on the subject. It's interesting because at the time, the Jesuits received a lot of flak from back home for not converting any of their students - they never prosyletized over there, but rather just made it their goal to instill academic discipline in their charges. There's something about this that really appeals to me. Also, it seems highly likely that Father Michael taught the likes of Allawi, Chalabi and others back in the day!

A great page here about the founding and history of the College. I love this quotation, which perfectly captures both the frustrating idiocy and hilarity of religious absolutism and intolerance, as well the potential that religious pluralism can exist peacefully:

I was one of many Jesuits who, from 1932 to 1969, taught and learned from 7,000 young Iraqis. That the latter appreciated the Jesuits is best illustrated by the two Muslims who once told me: "We like the fadheria very much, but you won't be with us in paradise because you are infidels." Both took it in stride when I informed them that when I was their age, I was told that they were the infidels, so we seemed to be involved in a tie ball game.

Also, another nice article at The New Republic (you need a subscription but there's a free trial option). I particularly like this quotation toward the end by Father Alfred Hicks:

"The liberal arts humanize people. That's why you teach them. Iraq has been dehumanized for thirty years." And perhaps that's all the Jesuits and their former students can hope for: that a renewed Baghdad College High School will help Iraq recover a bit of its lost soul.