Iraq solidarity motion

Blacktriangle reports on the motion of solidarity passed by the recent Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain’s Branch Representative meeting. We need more such practical initiatives.

Gary Kent

Birmingham and District Branch Motion
“It is the opinion of this meeting that Council should support and develop links with the Syndicate of Iraqi Pharmacists and schools of pharmacy in Iraq either directly or via international pharmacy bodies.”

Explanatory paragraph from the Branch

In addition to the recent conflict and the continuing violence, two wars and twelve years of sanctions have had a crippling effect on Iraq’s pharmacy education and practice. These events have severely affected access to information resources such as books and journals, and imposed a total isolation from the scientific community. Iraq has an important position in the history of pharmacy and Baghdad was a prominent centre for science and culture; providing the world with a great legacy of pharmaceutical and medical knowledge. The Society should, in an act of solidarity with fellow pharmacists in Iraq, extend the hand of friendship to Iraqi pharmacy educators, and the Syndicate of Iraqi Pharmacists, and use its international influence to the same end.

Here is the text of my speech:

The land called Iraq has been at the forefront of medical care for thousands of years. The ancient Babylonian Code of Hammurabi was the 1st documented record of medical harm.

In the 8th and 9th Centuries a rich mixture of Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Muslim scholars, under the enlightened Caliphs of Baghdad, came together leading to a tremendous gathering of scientific knowledge, especially in the field of medicine. Key Greek texts were preserved and translated into Arabic, including the work of Galen. When Europe lost this knowledge, it came back tous via Arabic translations. Baghdad also added to this knowledge, for example the first ever formulary was published there.

Ninth century Baghdad also had the first ever pharmaceutical regulation. Government officials checked the accuracy of weights and purity of medicines. It is not recorded if they checked your CPD records. Iraq is arguably the birthplace of pharmacy.

Today, after three wars [I forgot the Iran-Iraq war in the explanation above], and continuing disruption to civil life - including the targeting of academics - Iraq’s Pharmacy Schools have shortages of books and other teaching materials. As a result of sanctions the Syndicate of Iraqi Pharmacists was not able to participate fully internationally - such as via organisations such as FIP.
This motion seeks to send a message of solidarity to our fellow Iraqi pharmacists. How this is done I leave to Council and I welcome the work that the Society is already providing. In addition to the information that the Society has provided I am also aware that the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association has also provided BNFs to Iraq.

This motion does not seek to provide additional resources for Iraq, above that given to other states, but rather endorses and supports the support the Society already provides. I do not expect Council to spend vast resources on this issue, but the value of an expression of solidarity should not be underestimated.