More than 300 people filled 3650 Humanities Building Wednesday to hear Iraq Peace Team member Ben Granby talk about his experiences in Iraq during January and February of this year.
Juxtaposing personal stories with photographs taken while in Iraq, Granby told of the daily life of Iraqis to UW-Madison students and community members.
Iraq's favorite pasttime, according to Granby, was illustrated by a photo of a bowling alley. He also showed photos of men in a cafe playing backgammon and people gathered around a cockfight.
\They are not Islamic fundamentalists,"" Granby said. ""They love to drink Coke and Pepsi just like everyone else.""
However, Granby's photographs also depicted a bleaker picture of life under the current Iraqi regime, which he disagrees with.
""This girl had a cyst on her neck,"" Granby said, pointing to another photograph. ""All she needed was a bone marrow transplant, but Iraq does not have any bone marrow transplant machines anymore because their import is banned by sanctions.""
While Granby said he believes this is the result of sanctions, he also faults Hussein for the harsh conditions the Iraqi people experience.
""If Saddam Hussein was a just man he would have paid for her to go to a hospital in Amman for a transplant.""
Another main concern Granby cited is the use of depleted uranium by the United States in its weapons.
""The consequence of using depleted uranium is it gets into the soil,"" Granby said. ""When it is consumed is when it becomes dangerous.""
Granby showed photographs of Iraqi children with birth defects and cancer. Since 1989, birth defects have increased nearly tenfold in Iraqi children, he said.
Ala'a Wafa, a UW-Madison freshman who has relatives in Kuwait, Palestine, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, said she is concerned for the safety of her family.
""My cousins in Saudi Arabia told me about the uranium bombs. They saw its effects on American fighters during the Gulf War who breathed it in.""
Another UW-Madison freshman, Kate Losey, said she felt the presentation was a very positive experience.
""I am on a quest for an independant perspective on what's really going on in Iraq,"" Losey said.
She said she was already aware of many facts Granby presented, but gained a greater appreciation for the Iraqi culture.
""Education is the key to get people to realize what the media is telling us is just slogans.\
