Iraqi postgraduates have long been growing frustrated by the lack of job prospects available to them after graduation. The country’s 30 percent unemployment rate mostly counts university and institute graduates.
Mohammed Saadi, a 28-year-old with a master’s degree in Special Education, decided to take matters into his own hands. He headed from his home province of Babylon to Baghdad with a group of other postgraduates to protest at government ministries.
A month into the protests, tragedy struck. While protesting, Mohammed was accidentally hit by a motorcycle - leaving him in a coma.
His friends have persisted in their protest, which has lasted more than 75 days. They vow to continue until a still unresponsive government meet their demands.
“We are staying here until they investigate our requests to employ the high certificate holders prior to all [other] protesters. We continue until they implement our demands to give us the employment decree. Then we go back home,” says master’s degree holder and protester Musaab Ali.
Reporting by Hlkawt Aziz
Translation by Sarkawt Mohammed
