Donate Here 

After years of conflict, Mosul Eye has finally become an establishment in Old Mosul, opening a house of culture, documentation and recovery. An association that is completely independent and relies on your generous donations. We have also successfully finished the Green Mosul Project, and we are now preparing for the largest Oral History Documentation in Mosul. And our most important project Reviving The Jewish Memory of Mosul, which is the first of its kind to bring back the Jewish Memory of Mosul to life. 

I’m hoping you’ll consider supporting the good work Mosul Eye Association does by donating or sharing with others who’d like to help. Donate Here “Don’t give up on Mosul and our people. We will not always be just a stronghold of ISIS. I want to change the headlines of my city.”
Your donations will help us maintain Mosul Eye House active and independent to document and protect the history of people and to help make Mosul active again.  

Omar Mohammed CEO, Mosul Eye 

It has been eight years since Mosul Eye was established, and since then, it has remained active in telling the truth about Mosul. 
We recovered the library of Mosul.
We planted trees and still working on the recovery of Mosul and telling the world the story of its resilience. 
And now want to establish the Museum of Mosul Cultures in Mosul Eye House to show the world the diversity and inclusion of the cultural heritage of Mosul and its people. 

With your donations, Mosul Eye can continue its mission:

A message from Mosul Eye Historian to Ukrainian Historians: Protect your History Now, Not Tomorrow.

Dear Ukrainians who are covering the war, from inside Ukraine and outside, here are some suggestions from someone who lived the war and cares about history and its importance in such moments:

While journalist reports are essential; the civil voice has a greater value in the long term; it protects your future. Do not get stuck in just reporting the current moment; pay attention to what comes next.

2- Document everything daily and explain your country’s social, economic, cultural, and political fabric to the world. It is essential to document the social impact collect testimonies and first-hand accounts from the people there. You will need this soon.

3- Sadly, the world pays more attention to individual stories than collective ones. Therefore, you need to add personal stories to get the right impact to help your country by keeping the world focused on your situation.
4- You should give yourself the chance to think more clearly in such terrifying times; your safety and security should come first. Do not overexpose yourself. Today’s friend can be tomorrow’s enemy.
5- If you decide to work collectively, do it decentralized.
6- Record as much as you can videos, audio and any possible visual material you can collect. You can’t imagine how useful this will be in the coming days. War will end, but it will only end for governments; the people will keep suffering unless you have collected enough material to pursue justice.
7- Do not forget your cultural heritage; keep a close eye and document everything.
8- I know it is a terrible time for all of you, and it is meaningless to ask you not to be emotional, but remember, if you decide to document your history, you must accept the price, that is to put your emotions aside for a while.
9- No matter how excited you get when you see a video, an image, a document, etc., that you can use against your enemy, you MUST be careful not to use it if it is not verified. Your enemy will be happy to discredit you. Your credibility is everything.
10- Do not say I will document this event tomorrow! No, do it immediately, and write it the moment it happens. The value of real-time documentation is fundamental, but you can only do it if you think about the future and get yourself out of the current moment.

11- Remember, he who controls the narrative of your history will control your future.
12- Your voice is more powerful than any journalist around the world, you are conveying not only the history to the people, but you are pouring your real feelings into its heart.
13- Assad and pro-Putin pundits are using the racist comments of some western journalists. While such terrible statements should have never happened, Ukrainian journalists should condemn them to deprive the enemy of using it to distract people.
14- As the conflict goes, there will be massive pressure on you, the young and future leaders of Ukraine. You will find yourself not only fighting Putin but also the propaganda and counter-narrative. Please do not ignore it, and treat it wisely as it happens.
15- You will realize that your enemy will use every available tool to discredit you. Keep your eyes open, debunk the claims and propaganda, stick to the truth. Oppressors and dictators fear the truth.

16- You will also see those who will use you for their purposes, they are not nearly supporting Putin, but the conflict provides them with the chance to prove their nonsense.

17- You will also see those who will use you for their purposes, they are not nearly supporting Putin, but the conflict provides them with the chance to prove their nonsense. Debunk and expose them immediately.

18- Should you receive a request to write an article for a media outlet or newspaper, pause and do not accept immediately; think before you do it. Significantly if it will be edited, if you accept, read the final edition before it goes online.

19- Do not allow the journalists and media outlets to use you or refer to you as a “fixer” or “source”. Establish your platform, let them come to your platform to read the news.

To The Dignified Child,

On this day of every year, the heart of humanity awakes from its slumber with a new passion, and prepared to receive a glorious parade

2021 years have passed by, and every year, just like this morning, the Christian world shivers with spirit and joy, while it halts and stops to face towards Palestine

Palestine, the cradle of Prophecy and curators, the tomb of the greatest and the mighty, the land where Armia stood, crying and sprinkling tears of Sorrow, and where David erected singing and chanting the songs of victory and triumph on his harp.

The humanity stares at Bethlehem in this parade, as their hearts are filled with passion and their gaze preceded them, seeking that lonely grotto, asking the shepherds and the guardians of the fields, guided by the most glowing star in the sky, as a sign of Heavens sharing this world its celebration.

At that lonely and quiet grotto, where nothing is heard but the groans of winds, the creeks of bushes, bleating of sheep, and stirr of livestock .. twenty centuries ago, a newborn named Jesus came to this world, next to a weak and exhausted mother.

That was all that was found there, but the greater world, with all its intelligent minds and greatest hearts, continued to praise this child and repeat “This is the greatest any woman has a beard and gave birth to!” .. People rushed in floks to this new child’s stage, carrying their precious gifts, and the kings and the greatest of this world came to him l, carrying gold and rosemary, to celebrate with the new mother her child. Yet, this child never cared for all those precious gifts, not because he did not recognize their value, but he consoled himself “That my Kingdom is not of this world”.

What is this latent secret of this child? Mankind is known for celebrating the wealthy and glorifying the Noble and the might, and baby Jesus was born humble and unknown. Yet, we find humanity in its entirety, glorifying, honoring and welcoming Him as they do to God’s!

That is because Jesus came with Sam’s principle; He came to this world with a new spirit and started to bring life amongst people’s ranks. He paid close attention to the weak and the poor. He came to wipe off their suffering and tears, and to solace the sadness at times where the thrones of kings and caesars were collapsing, and rocked edifices of the greatest and the powerful and toppled the idols made by the humble idol worshippers.

All those thrones were only based upon the heads of the oppressed, and those edifices would only be built upon the corpses of the miserable and those idols were set for foreign gods.

Very few are those who fathomed the secret of this dignified child’s life, and fewer are those who learned his glory that was revealed to the children of this land and these indigenous instruments.

The newborn of Bethlehem brought to this world something more valuable than all gemstones and all treasures … He arrived in this world with freedom on his right, the love of all people and the enemy of all kings. He gave it and resurrected them into a thriving life filled with good deeds.

Jesus only lived one life on this land and left it, but the principles He planted on this land has prospered and grown and bear fruit to the people, and when people tasted its sweetness, and enjoyed its pleasantness, they hailed to their holiness and greatness.

This dignified child lived a life different from the lives of the wised legists. He never spoke to the world of mysteries and secrets that no one can solve but the great philosophers, but He spoke of simple tongue because He did not only speak to the people of His time but to the nations coming after his time.

He did not flattered the humanity with sweet words, and never said what satisfies them and gain their love, but rather His words were spears into the hearts and souls of those who surrendered to slavery and subservience, and their eyes were blurred with curtains of blind customs … Those words that lifted the chains of serfdom and darkness, stormed and shredded the corrupt society that once was crippled with heavy subjugation imposed by the corrupt kings.

And you, the Dignified Child,

If you were ignored through eras, you were known through greater other ages, and if the people do not repeat your name, and surrendered to the customs that time framed them around your name, you are the the immortal for your principles live forever, and the humanity you guided and resurrected from indolence and despotism, and will forever be in debt to you for its freedom and peace as long as the heavens recite in this day of every year “Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace and in good pleasure people”.

With Love,

Omar

Mosul & the Islamic State: Justice & the Future of Mosul

RSVP: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fMHP4eY2S_yGX3SIx5Kxmg

On July 21 at 10AM EST, the Program on Extremism at George Washington University will host an exceptional line-up of keynote speakers to launch the Mosul & the Islamic State podcast which features Omar Mohammed. Reflecting on Mosul’s history, the ongoing pursuit of justice for Islamic State’s victims, and the prospects for the city’s future, the opening session will be chaired by Program on Extremism Director Lorenzo Vidino and features: 

-Karim Khan QC, Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court
-Professor Zeena Ghanim, Dean, School of Law Nineveh University
-General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA 
-Graeme Wood, The Atlantic & Yale University

A moderated discussion between Lorenzo Vidino, Omar Mohammed and Haroro Ingram will follow to formally launch the podcast. The four-episode series is hosted by Omar Mohammed, who reported on the Islamic State’s atrocities under the pen name ‘Mosul Eye’ after the city was captured by the Islamic State in 2014. Along with the podcast’s writer and co-host Haroro Ingram, Mosul & the Islamic State tells the story of Mosul and the struggles of its people through the stories and experiences of those who were there. It especially focuses on telling the untold stories of Mosuli experiences living under Islamic State rule, their pursuit of justice and renewal, as well as their hopes for Mosul’s future. A trailer for the podcast is out now and Episode 1 will be released on the day of the event. 

To listen to Mosul & the Islamic State, visit our host RSS feed or website page. :

https://extremism.gwu.edu/mosul-and-the-islamic-state

You can also search Mosul and the Islamic State on your preferred podcast platform. We stream to Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Stitcher.Time

Jul 21, 2021 10:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Trailer

Mosul and the Islamic State journeys back-and-forth between the streets of Mosul and the inner sanctums of the Islamic State terrorist group. For the first time, local Iraqis tell their stories of terror, survival, resistance, and hope alongside senior government officials, combat veterans, and other eyewitnesses.