MOSUL: A raven perched on the shoulder of a woman with flaming hair is Iraqi artist Marwan Fathi’s symbol for the terrible events he and his home city Mosul have had to endure.
Three years under the oppressive and violent rule of Daesh and the military campaign which drove it out in 2017 left much of the northern city in ruins. Thousands were killed, rendered homeless or maimed. Those who survived are deeply traumatized.
“I still jump awake at night thinking an air strike is about to hit or that they are coming to take one of us,” Fathi, 36, said. “Everyday is a struggle.”
Fathi’s work is on display in “Return to Mosul” — the city’s first art exhibition since before it was seized by Daesh, whose ultra hard-line version of Sunni Islam prohibits most art forms.
Artists from across Iraq are taking part in the six-day show, including many who lived in Mosul when it was in the militants’ grip.
Hawkar Riskin’s haunting work ‘destruction’ depicts a giant skeleton standing on one leg, while Mohammad Al Kinani’s series of paintings — ‘Caliphate I’, ‘Caliphate II’ and ‘Caliphate III’ represents the beginning and end of Daesh, and Mosul’s rebirth.
Fathi said the artists who stayed in the city lived in constant fear and despair.
“There was a time when we considered killing ourselves. We reached that low. But then we thought, what would happen to the children?” Fathi, a professor of fine arts, said.
JONAH AND THE CITY
The show is in the newly re-opened Royal Hall of the Mosul Museum, which was looted and destroyed by Daesh and in the ensuing war to wrest control of the city.
Ahmed Mozahem, another Mosul-born artist, continued to work in secret while the city was under the militants’. Using a writing pad he kept hidden to avoid discovery, Mozahem produced 40 pencil drawings which are now among his most cherished possessions, an expression of what he and his family suffered.
For “City of the Whale,” his painting in the exhibition, Mozahem drew on the story of the prophet Jonah and the whale, which features Nineveh, the ancient Assyrian city which stood roughly where Mosul is today.
Following their capture of the city in 2014, Daesh went on a rampage, destroying many of Mosul’s ancient sites and artefacts, including a shrine believed by many to be Jonah’s tomb.
The militants not only destroyed the city, Mozahem said. “They also killed something inside, our spirit.”
But Matthew Vincent, an American archaeologist, says technology can help preserve some of what was lost. Vincent is a co-founder of a crowdsourced, digital preservation project called Rekrei, which collects photographs of damaged or lost monuments and artefacts to re-create these in 3D representations.
At the Mosul Museum, visitors are now able to catch virtual glimpse of ancient Assyrian treasures destroyed by Daesh. One of them, the Lion of Mosul, was a colossal Assyrian guardian lion from about 860 BCE, one of two which stood at the entrance of the Temple of Ishtar at Nimrud, Iraq.
“It is never going to replace the original but new technology is giving us a path we simply didn’t have before,” Vincent said.
In Mosul exhibition, Iraqi artists process brutal rule of Daesh
In Mosul exhibition, Iraqi artists process brutal rule of Daesh
- Three years under the oppressive and violent rule of Daesh and the military campaign which drove it out in 2017 left much of the northern city in ruins
Security, economic and political partnerships in the spotlight at first Jordan-EU Summit
- Event reflects international confidence in Jordan as a reliable partner in efforts to address security threats, advance peace initiatives, and expand cooperation, analysts say
- Timing is significant, expert says, given the region faces overlapping crises and threats that place security and defense cooperation at the heart of Jordanian-European relations
AMMAN: The inaugural Jordan-EU Summit underlined the depth of the country’s strategic partnership with Europe, officials and experts said, and confirmed the pivotal role Jordan plays in regional security, political stability and economic cooperation.
Analysts told the Jordan News Agency that Thursday’s summit took place at a sensitive moment for the region, but reflected international confidence in Jordan as a reliable partner in efforts to address cross-border security threats, advance peace initiatives, and expand cooperation in trade, investment and development.
Bashir Al-Dajeh, an expert in security and strategy, said the timing of the summit was significant, given the region is facing overlapping crises and transnational threats that place security and defense cooperation at the heart of Jordanian-European relations.
Jordan’s strategic location positions it on the front lines of efforts to tackle illegal migration, organized crime, drug and arms smuggling and cross-border terrorism, he added. The country has hosted more than 3.5 million refugees over the past decade without compromising its security infrastructure, he noted.
Jordan’s effective border controls were helping to curb irregular migration to Europe and disrupting the plans of extremist groups and trafficking networks, Al-Dajeh said, which was directly benefiting regional and European security.
Khaled Abu Hassan, a member of the Jordanian parliament, said the country’s foreign policy under King Abdullah had reinforced its influence, in the region and internationally, particularly its firm stance in support of the Palestinian cause and a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel.
He said the summit reaffirmed Jordan’s political influence in the shaping of regional balances and advancement of efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace. The timing of the meeting also demonstrated the resilience of the nation in managing multiple regional and domestic challenges.
Abu Hassan also highlighted the economic aspects of the summit, including the announcement of a Jordan-EU economic conference in April, as a sign of the international recognition of Jordan’s political and economic role.
Economist Mufleh Aql said the high-level summit reflected a shared desire for a broadening of cooperation to encompass politics, trade, security and renewable energy, and Jordan was well-placed to benefit from access to the EU’s large markets, technology and investment opportunities.
The country could benefit from increased exports, technology transfers and financing for major infrastructure projects in sectors such as water, transport and energy, he added, and in return offer the EU skilled human capital amid labor shortages in Europe.
EU support for Jordan’s positions on issues such as Jerusalem, regional stability, energy and migration further strengthens the partnership, Aql said. Jordan also already benefits from EU grants, concessional loans and exports of agricultural, pharmaceutical and chemical products to European markets, he noted.
