Iraqis worried that uproar over visas will affect them

Some members of Auckland's Iraqi community fear repercussions because two people with links to Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime were living here.

Dr Ali Numan, a Manukau GP, said he and his Iraqi friends were concerned the allegations raised by Winston Peters about the pair would harm all Iraqis trying to make a new life here.

Dr Numan said Mr Peters was alleging security risks but not providing any detailed information.

"If he was really concerned he should have gone to the Government straight away ... instead he strings it out for maximum political benefit."

Dr Numan said he was sure Mr Peters was motivated by publicity for himself, especially in an election year.

"Trying to get maximum damage against the Government is his only aim."

But as a result, Dr Numan said, the serious allegations could impugn innocent Iraqis.

"We are concerned it is racist ... the negative publicity harms the Iraqi community as it did after September 11."

Dr Numan said there should be care not to generalise about Iraqi people and no one was criminal until proven otherwise.

He did not necessarily believe the diplomat or the former agricultural minister named by Mr Peters were guilty of crimes against humanity.

"In any government you will find good and bad ... they are doing their duty, their jobs."

Mr Numan said some members of the Iraqi community had yesterday contacted the Human Rights Commission because they were concerned about discrimination after the publicity.

He was not aware of any members of the Iraqi community who knew the two men.

"People in the Government stay far away for us ... we came here because we were in the opposition."

An Iraqi AUT lecturer, Rose Joudi, said she was not upset at the thought of two former members of Saddam's regime living here.

Miss Joudi, who left Iraq when she was 5 years old, said her generation were perhaps not as sensitive as older Iraqis who had experienced hardships first-hand.

"Personally I have no problem with them being here. I think our second generation are more accepting of differences, especially not having lived the political ups and downs."

However Miss Joudi said many older Iraqis would have problems with accepting that men connected with Saddam's rule could live here.

Her father, David Joudi, believed the political uproar was an over-reaction as many Iraqis once connected with the Saddam regime lived freely all over the world.

"Just because they are diplomats or high ranking officials does not mean they have criminal records ... more research should be done to see if they are a problem."

Even in Iraq there was more important work to do than track down such people, he said.

Mr Joudi believed there would be other Iraqis living here who in the lower ranks could be shown to be linked with the former regime.

He did not believe they should be "hassled".