On the anniversary of a massive fire at a wedding in Iraq, which killed more than 100 and injured 150, victims of the tragedy and their families still need support.
As bride and groom Revan and Haneen Isho were dancing during their reception at Al Haytham Wedding Hall in the Syriac Christian town of Baghdeda on September 26 last year, large fountain fireworks ignited ceiling decorations and the venue's roof collapsed on guests inside.
The couple, who survived the fire, lost several family members, including both of their mothers.
Speaking to The National last year, survivor Sameer Noel called the scene a “nightmare”.
“I managed to get out but saw people with burns and their flesh was peeling off their bodies,” said Mr Noel. “I was carrying a woman [whose limbs] had melted, she didn’t have legs or arms, and another girl who lost her head.”
An estimated 1,000 people attended the wedding in Baghdeda, also referred to as Qaraqosh, which is in the Nineveh Plains of northern Iraq, where Chaldeans, Assyrians and Syriacs trace their roots.
The history of the three communities in Iraq dates back more than 5,000 years to Mesopotamia, which is considered to be the cradle of civilisation.
The Shlama Foundation, based in Ankawa, Erbil, is a charitable group dedicated to serving all three communities. After the fire, it acted swiftly to help victims, providing emergency services, medication and transport to hospitals.
Foundation board members Noor Matti and Haitham Graish spoke to The National of the progress made to help victims over the past year – and the work that lies ahead.
Mr Matti, co-founder of the foundation, and Mr Graish said many of the victims have received essential medication and been treated for medical issues such as burns and broken limbs.
But those who lost loved ones and others who were severely injured are still in need of support, they said.
“The majority of assistance needed at this stage involves supporting reconstructive surgery, as well as providing financial support for children who have become orphans and parents who are now widowed,” said Mr Graish.
“As you can imagine, both these needs require long-term assessment and support, and in the case of reconstructive surgery, support outside the country is often required due to Iraq’s inconsistent infrastructure.”
The foundation organised mobile medical units to visit victims at their homes to provide care, which included procedures that helped to speed up the recovery process and minimise scarring.
It funded operations in hospitals in Mosul and Erbil, and covered the costs of doctors' visits and medication for patients, in addition to providing mental health support and financial assistance to those who lost family providers.
“We continue to discuss the tragedy and offer support, most recently by purchasing boxes of scar sheets,” said Mr Graish.
For the Chaldean, Assyrian and Syriac diaspora in the US, the tragedy is personal. Members of the communities have taken part in widespread efforts aimed at bringing relief to victims.
The Shlama Foundation raised more than $125,000 for victims of the wedding fire, with most coming from the Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian diaspora in America, according to Mr Graish and Mr Matti.
In the US state of Michigan, which is home to the largest population of Chaldeans in the world outside of Iraq, a resolution urging Congress to appropriate funds to help provide aid to victims of the fire was introduced.
Several Assyrian-American charitable groups launched efforts to help victims, including the Assyrian Aid Society of America, which held a Baghdeda fire fundraising campaign in co-operation with other organisations.
Michigan is home to a smaller Syriac community, which was hit especially hard by the tragedy, as many trace their roots directly to Baghdeda.
On Wednesday, an event was scheduled to take place at the St Toma Syriac Catholic Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to honour those who died in the fire.
On the anniversary of the tragedy, many took to social media to pay tribute to the victims.
“This heartbreaking tragedy deeply impacted the Christian community, many of whom had already endured displacement by ISIS,” one user wrote.
Baghdeda was captured by ISIS in August 2014 and eventually liberated in October two years later.
In 2014, 700,000 of the about one million Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriacs in Iraq’s Nineveh Plains fled their homes as ISIS carved a path through the country. From a population of 1.5 million Christians before 2003, there are fewer than 250,000 in Iraq today.
And the fire has forced more residents to leave.
“Many have lost loved ones, and even more concerning, some of those lost were financial supporters, which has led to emigration from the historic town. Although many have settled in larger areas like Ankawa, this shift in population is far from ideal,” said Mr Graish.
“Some families who have not lost anyone but who sustained injuries have also left due to the trauma of the event.”
The owner of the venue fled town after the fire, but was eventually arrested and held accountable for failing to follow safety protocols.
“The community's trust has been severely affected – an unfortunate recurring issue in the country. A lack of faith and confidence in local officials can cause anxiety and lead to relocation,” said Mr Graish.
“While our community numbers remain relatively high in the town and many have stayed, this is not true for those directly affected by the tragedy.”
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The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
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ARABIAN GULF LEAGUE FIXTURES
Thursday, September 21
Al Dahfra v Sharjah (kick-off 5.35pm)
Al Wasl v Emirates (8.30pm)
Friday, September 22
Dibba v Al Jazira (5.25pm)
Al Nasr v Al Wahda (8.30pm)
Saturday, September 23
Hatta v Al Ain (5.25pm)
Ajman v Shabab Al Ahli (8.30pm)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The specs
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Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Stage 2 results
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 04:18:18
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:02
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:04
4 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates
5 Rick Zabel (GER) Israel Start-Up Nation
General Classification
1 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 07:47:19
2 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:12
3 Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 00:00:16
4 Nikolai Cherkasov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:17
5 Alexey Lutsensko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 00:00:19
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
Results
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Major Cinnamon, Fernando Jara, Mujeeb Rahman
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Al Mureib, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Remorse, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Meshakel, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Desert Peace, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Sharamm, Ryan Curatlo, Satish Seemar
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Law%2041.9.4%20of%20men%E2%80%99s%20T20I%20playing%20conditions
%3Cp%3EThe%20fielding%20side%20shall%20be%20ready%20to%20start%20each%20over%20within%2060%20seconds%20of%20the%20previous%20over%20being%20completed.%0D%3Cbr%3EAn%20electronic%20clock%20will%20be%20displayed%20at%20the%20ground%20that%20counts%20down%20seconds%20from%2060%20to%20zero.%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20clock%20is%20not%20required%20or%2C%20if%20already%20started%2C%20can%20be%20cancelled%20if%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09A%20new%20batter%20comes%20to%20the%20wicket%20between%20overs.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09An%20official%20drinks%20interval%20has%20been%20called.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20umpires%20have%20approved%20the%20on%20field%20treatment%20of%20an%20injury%20to%20a%20batter%20or%20fielder.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20time%20lost%20is%20for%20any%20circumstances%20beyond%20the%20control%20of%20the%20fielding%20side.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20third%20umpire%20starts%20the%20clock%20either%20when%20the%20ball%20has%20become%20dead%20at%20the%20end%20of%20the%20previous%20over%2C%20or%20a%20review%20has%20been%20completed.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09The%20team%20gets%20two%20warnings%20if%20they%20are%20not%20ready%20to%20start%20overs%20after%20the%20clock%20reaches%20zero.%0D%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%09On%20the%20third%20and%20any%20subsequent%20occasion%20in%20an%20innings%2C%20the%20bowler%E2%80%99s%20end%20umpire%20awards%20five%20runs.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
