Welcome to Finland

Mosul is one of the most important cities located on the river Tigris in the north of Iraq. It is considered to have the second highest population after Baghdad. Mosul has about two million people of different ethnicities and religions and live where they used to live peacefully together. The majority is Arabic Sunnies and they live with Christians (Assyrians and Armenians), Turks, Kurds, Yazidis, Mandeans, Shabakies … etc.

Mosul is well known for its ancient Assyrian civilization, the prophet Jonah’s tomb, old churches and mosques. People from Mosul have unique Arabic accents, dishes, and theculture slightly differs from other Iraqi cities.

After the 2003 USA–Iraq war, people in Mosul suffered from sectarian shiite militias and treatment from the Iraqi government. During 2013, many Mosulians protested (together with some other cities) against the bad treatment and neglect of rights by the Iraqi government. Later on the 10th of June 2014, to the surprise of Mosul dwellers, ISIL took control of their town. The Iraqi military withdrew and handed over their arms and wapons without any fight.

Now part of Mosul is still under siege and there is an attempt to release it from ISIL control. Most people are against ISIL but afraid of a Peshmerga (Kurdish armed troops) who want to join the city together with Kurdistan. Civilians in Mosul blame the Iraqi government of letting ISIL enter their city and now for allowing sectarian behaviors of the Shiite militia.

For all this reasons the amount of Mosulian displaced people and refugees will increase dramatically.

Mosul is an example of an Iraqi city that has seen the terror as an endless story of oppression and injustice. It seems that politics create a new problems for the city instead of radically solving the existing problem. I pray for Mosul to get rid of ISIL and recover soon from all these bad nightmares.

One of immigrants,

Ammar Al-Kaysi