Baghdad, Iraq
Professor Salman Rawaf of Imperial College London was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the Iraq Education Conference, held at the University of Baghdad, on education, artificial intelligence, and modern teaching methods.
But the event took an unexpected turn.
After a minister departed, audience attention declined, and several television channels began removing their microphones from the podium.
An angry Rawaf responded:
“If you have no shame, then do as you please!”
He then described the event as
“nothing but showmanship and business.”
THE IRONY
At that very moment, Rawaf was explaining that younger generations reject traditional lectures and prefer real experiences and engagement.
Yet instead of engaging his audience, he scolded and publicly humiliated them — contradicting the very principles he was advocating.
Academic Prestige or Superiority Complex?
The professor began speaking in English but switched to Arabic when reprimanding the audience.
The article’s sociological interpretation suggests this reflected an assertion of authority: English for academic prestige, Arabic for putting the audience in its place.
His reaction also suggested that the loss of attention threatened his professional standing.
Why did the Public Defend Him?
Rather than questioning the professor’s conduct, much of the public criticism reportedly targeted the journalists who removed their microphones.
This raises a deeper question: Why do we tolerate humiliation when it comes from someone with foreign credentials and a prestigious university affiliation?
The journalists’ behavior may have been disrespectful, but that does not automatically justify publicly insulting an entire audience.
The Real Lesson
Academic achievement deserves respect, but it does not grant anyone the right to humiliate others.
And a society that mistakes humiliation for wisdom simply because it comes from a prestigious foreign institution is not defending education — it is surrendering to symbolic authority.