Human Rights Advocate to Speak in Portland
Dr. Khassan Baiev, author of "The Oath," will speak at the Islamic Society
of Portland, 155 Brackett Street, at 7 pm on Friday, February 27th. He will
do a book signing at Borders in South Portland on Saturday, February 28th
from 2-4 pm, and he will also be at the Peace Supper on February 28th. Dr.
Baiev says he wrote "The Oath" because he "wanted the world to know that war
is a hellish thing, which victimizes the innocent," and because "I wanted to
introduce my readers to the Chechen people." Dr. Baiev is an outspoken
advocate for human rights who has been honored by Human Rights Watch,
Physicians for Human Rights and Amnesty International.
When Russia invaded Chechnya in 1994, Dr. Baiev gave up his lucrative
reconstructive surgery practice to perform trauma surgery. When he treated
Chechen fighters, the Russians accused him of being a traitor. When he
treated Russian soldiers, factions of Islamic extremists accused him of the
same. Determined to uphold the Hippocratic Oath, Baiev operated on all in
need. The civilians caught in between the two sides were the main victims.
Dr. Baiev's appearance in Portland will be jointly sponsored by Borders
Books, the Islamic Society of Portland, and Peace Action Maine. For more
information, contact Wells Staley-Mays at 774-1110 or 409-0778.
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Winter, 2003 - 2004