On April 6, 2014, Mohammad Juma’a, a professor of Islamic Studies and the Dean of the Imam al-A’adham School in Samarra, Iraq, was killed by unidentified gunmen in the Qadisiyah neighborhood in Samarra’s city center. Professor Juma’a is a prominent activist who had recently participated in peaceful protests against the policies of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. No one has claimed responsibility for the crime and security forces have not named any suspects.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the apparently targeted killing of a professor. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable.
Sources:
http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/97179/%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%83%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B8%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D9%87/ar
http://tvbaghdad.net/News.aspx?NewsId=3699#.U88tjWeG_IU
http://www.el-balad.com/890463
http://albawabanews.com/504064
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/424217