Marcus Tullius Cicero said  “A room without books is like a body without a soul." If this is true, my constituent Sabah Barkho has plenty of soul.  

Mr Barkho brought with him from Iraq his rich and vast collection of Arabic books and with them he has created an at home library. His beautiful collection includes many works of English, European and America literature translated to Arabic, as well as many original Arabic texts. Mr Barkho shares his collection with local schools and at community events to highlight the great contribution of the Arabic language and Iraqi cultural tradition to the world.

Surrounded by books in Mr Barkho's home.

In Iraq, Mr Barkho was a professor specialising in Arabic and Islamic studies. He was also a seller of fine books of cultural significance in Baghdad’s famous Mutannabi Street. His library in his Craigieburn home shows his dedication to literature shows the importance of sharing knowledge and culture and how it can enrich our understanding of one another and ourselves.