The UAE, in co-operation with Unesco, is helping to rebuild Al Nuri Mosque in Mosul.
The mosque and its famous leaning minaret were destroyed by ISIS in 2017 as government forces closed in on the last fighters from the terrorist group that once held much of north-west Iraq. AFP
The mosque was left largely destroyed after the defeat of ISIS. AP
The minaret was also wrecked by the terrorists. AFP
The 45-metre Al Hadba minaret was built 840 years ago. AFP
Before its destruction, its distinctive lean gave it its name, which translates as 'the hunchback' in Arabic. AFP
The UAE pledged $50.4 million (Dh185m) to restore Al Nuri Mosque and the minaret, in addition to providing expertise and support to co-ordinate the reconstruction. AFP
Work on the reconstruction of Al Hadba in December, 2019. AFP
Al Nuri Mosque dome during a snowstorm in Mosul in February 2020. AFP
An Iraqi worker clears rubble during reconstruction work in December 2019. AFP
Iraqi prime minister at the time, Mustafa Al Khadimi, tours Al Nuri in 2020. Photo: Iraqi PM Media Office
Tourists visit Al Nuri in April 2022. Reuters
An aerial view of the Al Nuri mosque complex during a dust storm in June 2022. AFP
Renovation work on the mosque as seen through a doorway. AFP
A labourer working on the monuments of Al Nuri in January 2022. Reuters
The final designs of the historic Al Nuri Mosque and two churches in the Iraqi city of Mosul will be selected next week with plans to start the reconstruction work by December or January, a senior UN cultural official told The National.
The 12th-century mosque and its famous leaning minaret were destroyed by ISIS in 2017 as government forces closed in on the last fighters of the group that once controlled the city and much of north-west Iraq.
In 2018, under the Reviving the Spirit of Mosul programme that aims to restore the shattered city, UN cultural agency Unesco set out to rebuild the city’s historic landmarks with international funding.
The reconstruction of the mosque, two churches and several other religious sites is being funded by the UAE.
“We are in the final phase before work starts, we plan to start the reconstruction of Al Hadba Minaret, Al Tahera Church and Al Saa'a Monastery by December 2021 or January 2022,” Paolo Fontani, Unesco’s Iraq director, told The National.
“The minaret will be built exactly as it was, but it is the most complex in terms of reconstruction,” Mr Fontani said.
On October 25, officials from Unesco will attend a two-day meeting in Iraq with officials from the Sunni Waqf, Iraq’s ministry of culture, the Egyptian architecture firm that won the competition to redesign Al Nuri Mosque and an Iraqi architecture firm, as well as individuals from the UAE.
“We are holding this meeting so that we can have a frank and open conversation on the final design so everyone feels comfortable,” Mr Fontani said.
The UN official said the agency wants the design to be “as close as possible to what the community wants.”
Works on the mosque are expected to start around March 2022.
“This is due to the architectural contribution, because of the need to rally people around the project, to have more stakeholders involved and participatory meetings,” he said.
“We want to make sure that everybody's onboard,” he said.
Reconstruction design
In April, a team of eight Egyptian architects won an international competition to provide the design for the reconstruction of the mosque.
It includes rebuilding the mosque's historic prayer hall and the organic integration of the complex, the largest public space in the Old City of Mosul, in its urban surroundings through open spaces with five entry points from surrounding streets, Unesco said.
While the prayer hall will look as it did before its destruction in 2017, it will feature notable improvements in the use of natural light and expanded spaces for women and dignitaries.
Mr Fontani said there were some sensitivities on how the mosque and the garden around it will look and that was why Unesco planned to conduct further meetings so that “everyone is comfortable without missing any details.”
Some critics have said the design looks too modern and that it does not have the Iraqi identity, but the government has supported the UN’s decisions, he said.
The project aims to revive Mosul’s cultural life and diversity. For thousands of years, the city was a commercial and intellectual centre and a crossroads.
Ceremony for the prophet's birthday
On Sunday, the mosque held its first ceremony in four years, during celebrations of the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, with lights illuminating the area.
"There were a lot of people in the historical centre of Mosul, around 1200 people gathered to celebrate," Mr Fontani said.
"It was the biggest gathering probably seen since the liberation of the city," he said.
Local residents told Unesco staff of how pleased they were to see the mosque's compound being rebuilt.
"The reconstruction efforts made by Unesco gives people some reassurances that they will get to see their mosque and religious sites rebuilt again," he said.
The UN agency hopes that by the end of 2023, the historical part of the project would be complete.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
