In a touching scene in which tears were mixed with pride, the University of Basra awarded a master’s degree to the late student Raghad Saadoun Wadi Al-Gharbawi, who died with a number of her family members in the tragedy of the Al-Kout hypermarket fire in mid-July, with an “excellent” grade, after discussing her thesis in absentia with only her photo present.

The discussion session was held in a solemn and sad atmosphere, as one of her professors defended her thesis, entitled “Evaluating the Introduction to Translators from English to Arabic,” on her behalf, before a scientific committee that confirmed the seriousness of the proposal and the quality of the research.

In the corner of the hall, a smiling picture of Raghad sat, carrying the flame of a dream that was not completed, but she received the appreciation she deserved, and proved that knowledge cannot be extinguished by death.

The martyr’s father, in his post, described his daughter as an “ambitious martyr,” and said: “Raghad was waiting for the moment of graduation, but fate preceded her... Today she received her distinction from heaven.”

The event recalled the tragedy of the Kut fire, which claimed the lives of more than 60 people, and sparked widespread public debate about the absence of safety measures and the negligence of regulatory authorities, amid demands to hold those involved accountable and offer condolences to the families of the victims.