Tim Lezard talks to a soccer-star headteacher who will not be intimidated by daily threats of death. Hassan, who is a member of the Iraqi Teachers Union, believes he has a responsibility not only to his 500 pupils, but also to wider society. Though depleted by law and starved of resources, the unions offer a rare glimpse of hope amid the wreckage of Iraq. Their leaders have been at the forefront of creating a new democratic and secular civil society and are often targeted because of that.