Layla Al-Attar

Layla Al-Attar (Arabic: ليلى العطار‎, born in Baghdad, Iraq) was an Iraqi artist and painter that graduated from the Academy of fine Arts in Baghdad in 1965. Layla, known for her beauty and kindness, had once held five one-women shows in Iraq and took part in all national and other collective exhibitions held in the country and abroad. Layla also took part in Kuwait Biennil (1973), the first Arab Biennil (Baghdad 1974), second Arab Biennil (1976), Kuwait Biennil (1981) and won the Golden Sail Medal in Cairo Biennil (1984). She was director of the Iraqi National Art Museum.

On 27 June 1993, Layla, her husband and their housekeeper, were killed by a U.S. missile attack on Baghdad which was ordered by U.S. President Bill Clinton. The attack also blinded her daughter.

Later on, a study prepared by the CIA's Counter Terrorism Center suggested that Kuwait might have fabricated the alleged presidential assassination plot in an effort to play up the "continuing Iraqi threat" to Western interests in the Persian Gulf.[1]

Legacy

Kris Kristofferson dedicated and wrote a song about Layla called "The Circle".

The character Layal in the play Nine Parts of Desire is based on Al-Attar.[2] Heather Raffo, the author of the play, stated that she saw a painting by Al-Attar in an art gallery and was curious about it, and this prompted her to have the play written, with the Al-Attar character central in it.[2]

Marta Gomez dedicated and wrote a song about Layla called "Layla", about "The circle".

References

  1. ↑ Hersh, Seymour M. "A CASE NOT CLOSED." The New Yorker, November 1, 1993, p. 82
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sandler, Lauren. "An American and Her Nine Iraqi Sisters." The New York Times. October 17, 2004. Retrieved on April 13, 2014.

Further reading

External links