The war was still raging in Mosul. Most of the city was under fire. Then, the moment I learned about the liberation of the University of Mosul and its central library, I launched an international campaign to rescue and revive the library and donate books to reopen it. Many thought that I am a madman, who thinks of books while war is at it’s climax? What value books have while mankind is easily killed? Many questions were asked, but I was sure and certain what value lies in books and libraries. It is not as much about the books; it is more about who read those books, or who wrote them. Since ISIS deliberately destroyed and torched the library, it was mainly targeting the human kind in Mosul.
It was only a statement of 140 characters on Twitter when I said: “our central library is liberated, but it is burned to ashes, are you willing to donate books to it!”
The response was as I expected. It was shocking, but was beautiful and carried lots of meaningful thoughts: thousands of people respond to the call, willing to donate. In less than a month, Mosul Eye’s call became an international and reached it’s goals very quickly. The only goal I was aiming for in this campaign was: reconnecting Mosul with its international domain, not stay limited to it’s locale.
Two days ago, I received an invitation from Charles University at the Czech republic where they held a special day for Mosul in their response to Mosul Eye’s campaign and call to revive the University and the University’s central library without advance notice. It was a surprise. The audience was diverse: there were academics, students, citizens, men and women of various ages, elderly and children. And one single question dawned on me: why are they interested in Mosul?
The answer was easy: One wants to live in peace and security does not care of other people’s religious, ethic, or sect backgrounds, and just interact with others simply on their humane value.
Young people prepared traditional food to sell it during the event they named #MosulDay to contribute their earnings to the support of Mosul’s libraries.
Other academics introduced their work and attempts to preserve Mosul’s heritage and relics by utilizing academic and technical methods to develop 3-d prototypes to assist in regaining what the city lost of it’s heritage.
The Iraqi ambassador Waleed Shiltagh, praiseworthy, was present at the event and provided an Iraqi cuisine as a gesture of appreciation to the guests and the event organizers.
The founder of Mosul Eye gave a speech in the event, thanking the organizers and the audience for this event and expressing his gratitude and the necessity of this event to the people of Mosul as a gesture of a message well received.
Mosul Eye provides its great thank to the staff of Philosophy, Oriental Studies, Archeology, History, and Humanities Studies departments at Charles University and special thanks to the University’s library and its staff for their kind gesture.
Special thanks to the organizers of the campaign: Dr. Clara Rösslerová and the civil activist Nadá Aliová
Special thanks goes to:
• Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Jan Palach Library.
• Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Celetná Library,.
• Charles University in Prague, T. G. Masaryk Social Sciences Library.
Mosul was present there, and we shall continue our international campaign to revive Mosul and its heritage
Regards
The founder of Mosul Eye
