Hoping to give Americans a glimpse of the situation in Iraq, two Iraqi visitors shared their first-hand experiences with many University students and staff yesterday.

Ali (Hashim) Ramadan, a lawyer, and Hayder Karin, a doctor are both part of the Iraq-America Freedom Alliance. Yesterday they presented the documentary “Voices of Iraq” in the Union Theater and spoke to a number of classes.

“When Saddam was in power Iraq was like a prison,” Ramadan said during one of the class visits. “We were dying slowly like this and when no one was thinking of us, but America was thinking of us.”

The two men have been traveling for three weeks explaining what is going on in Iraq and how appreciative they are of America’s help.

“Every month is better than the previous,” Ramadan said. “We are teaching Iraqi people what elections are, because they don’t know. We are teaching them what makes a democracy.”

According to a survey by Oxford Research International, 71 percent of Iraqis said they expected their lives to be even better in a year.

There has been major reconstruction of hospitals and with the reconstruction, up-to-date technology and medicines have been available for the first time, Karin said.

Many things have improved the men said, including public services like sanitation, education and human rights — including freedom of religion and mobility.

“We just wanted peace, a government that is not connected to religion,” Karin said. “We have been isolated from the rest of the world for too long.”

As for the fighting going on in Iraq, the men said it is worthy price for their freedom.

“Your country is doing a good job in Iraq,” Ramadan said. “I want to thank you. Thank American mothers for giving the lives of their sons to fight for our freedom.”

Part of their visit was to show the documentary “Voices of Iraq” that opened in selected theaters today.

To create the documentary, producers gave 150 video cameras to Iraqi citizens and then edited the 450 hours of film into the final product.

Dana Smith, a coordinator for Iraqi-America Freedom Alliance, said Ramadan and Karin’s presentation has been well received around the nation.

“The reaction has all been positive,” Smith said. “We are excited to have an opportunity to preview the movie and focus on the untold story in Iraq.”

Karin said he is disheartened by the negative media coverage in Iraq.

“Iraqis feel that America has done 90 percent of the work and there is only 10 percent left,” Karin said. “We will only need you for another year or two.”

The University’s International Studies Program sponsored the visit by the Iraq-America Freedom Alliance. For more information about the film visit www.voicesofiraq.com.