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After the government employees vacated the building and the library furnishings were looted, Baker convinced Anis
Muhammad, the owner of the restaurant Hamdan, to help. Baker enlisted the help of locals to smuggle the remaining books over the library's seven foot wall and into the dining room of the
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beginning in
November. Coalition forces met with more resistance than expected. Most of the invading American troops moved northwards, leaving Basra under a multi-week siege led by the British. The city was soon suffering from a "humanitarian crisis" in which residents lacked both water and
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As war with the US and UK loomed, government officials denied her requests that the books be moved to safety. When government offices moved into the library and an anti-aircraft gun was placed on the roof, she started to smuggle books out of the library.
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Baker and her husband rented a truck and distributed the books among library employees, friends, and their own home after things settled down in Basra. The library was rebuilt in 2004 and Baker was reinstated as chief librarian.
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restaurant next door. Before the library was destroyed, Baker had rescued 70% of the library's collection: 30,000 books, including
English and Arabic books and a Spanish language
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89:; also spelled "Baqer" or "Baqir"; 1952 – 13 August 2021) was an Iraqi librarian who was the chief librarian of the Al Basrah Central Library in
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bombs and 300 prisoners were taken in a battle outside the city. British troops occupied the city on 6 April.
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Baker had worked at the library for 14 years. As a child she was told the story of the burning of
Baghdad's
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The story of how Baker rescued the library books has inspired two children's books:
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566:"وفاة أمينة المكتبة المركزية في البصرة عالية محمد باقر: أنقذت آلاف الكتب عام 2003"
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Burning Books And
Leveling Libraries: Extremist Violence And Cultural Destruction
474:"AFTER THE WAR: THE LIBRARIAN; Books Spirited to Safety Before Iraq Library Fire"
237:"After the War: The Librarian; Books Spirited to Safety Before Iraq Library Fire"
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during the siege. Eventually, a large column of Iraqi tanks was destroyed by
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597:"Learning not to Speak in Tongues: Thoughts on the Librarian of Basra"
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Jardine and Naqvi, "Learning not to Speak in
Tongues" (2008), p. 644.
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Jardine and Naqvi, "Learning not to Speak in
Tongues" (2008), p. 640.
93:. Baker saved an estimated 30,000 books from destruction during the
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The myth of 'shock and awe': why the Iraqi invasion was a disaster
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Residents in Basra could die of thirst without relief supplies
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Iraqi
Librarian Becomes Cultural Hero in 2 Children's Books
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506:. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. p.
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439:War Watch: Iraqi tank column breaks out of Basra
365:Catastrophe looms as Basra remains without water
419:British attack column of Iraqi tanks near Basra
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300:Basra standoff raises concern about Baghdad
124:population relatively unsupportive of the
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674:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
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595:Jardine, David; Naqvi, Rahat (2008).
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140:The invading forces (including the
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472:Dewan, Shaila K. (27 July 2003).
382:British seek revolution in Basra
402:Battle for the streets of Basra
210:on 13 August 2021, during the
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604:Canadian Journal of Education
644:of the reconstructed library
610:(3): 639–666. Archived from
188:Pusthaka maalaakhayute katha
572:(in Arabic). 13 August 2021
97:, including a biography of
16:Iraqi librarian (1952–2021)
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689:People from Basra Province
142:Royal Australian Air Force
57:13 August 2021 (age 68–69)
386:The Sydney Morning Herald
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650:taken from invading tank
196:1 September 2021 at the
182:has published a book in
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352:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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128:, Basra was one of the
498:Rebecca Knuth (2006).
428:", PBS, 27 March 2003.
363:Shaoni Bhattacharya, "
176:The Librarian of Basra
146:psychological warfare
134:2003 invasion of Iraq
346:1 March 2019 at the
330:(UK), 19 March 2013.
305:26 June 2019 at the
298:Keith B. Richburg, "
454:Rosalind Russell, "
424:28 May 2012 at the
339:Karen MacPherson, "
328:The Daily Telegraph
279:www.bellaonline.com
144:) used bombing and
113:and was horrified.
79:Alia Muhammad Baker
42:Alia Muhammad Baker
25:Alia Muhammad Baker
635:The New York Times
478:The New York Times
437:Tom Newton Dunn, "
322:Richard Sanders, "
241:The New York Times
101:from around 1300.
617:on 27 March 2014.
173:Jeanette Winter's
111:Nizamiyya library
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684:Iraqi women
669:2021 deaths
664:1952 births
398:Tim Butcher
658:Categories
642:Photograph
218:References
190:about her.
180:S. Sivadas
576:14 August
483:21 August
284:21 August
186:entitled
184:Malayalam
105:Biography
460:IOL News
422:Archived
344:Archived
303:Archived
204:COVID-19
194:Archived
99:Muhammad
95:Iraq War
72:14 years
589:Sources
570:IQ News
541:8 March
247:8 March
132:in the
122:Shi'ite
120:With a
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83:Arabic
63:, Iraq
648:Video
615:(PDF)
600:(PDF)
208:Basra
158:Koran
91:Basra
61:Basra
578:2021
543:2013
512:ISBN
485:2018
286:2018
249:2013
171:and
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45:1952
38:Born
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