Leading figures from the law and military have offered support for a project that allows people subjected to the daily terrors of ISIS occupation in Iraq to tell the world of their ordeals in a series of podcasts.
Omar Mohammed, a historian who secretly reported from the city and exposed the terrorists' actions to the world through his Mosul Eye blog, created four podcasts to tell the stories of those who experienced it on the ground.
Iraq’s second largest city Mosul fell to ISIS in 2014 until the government regained control with the help of international forces in 2017.
Speaking at an event hosted by programme on extremism at George Washington University, which publishes MosulPodcast, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan, also former head of the UN’s ISIS war crimes unit, praised Mr Mohammed’s courage in exposing the insurgents' “tyranny”.
“We look forward to the government of Iraq implementing domestic legislation to prosecute ISIS’s crimes against humanity and war crimes,” he said.
“By doing that we will hopefully manage to achieve the imperative to confront violent extremism. These podcasts call out what took place.
“When I have been to Mosul over the last few years I have seen the vibrancy. Not only evident in the Pope’s visit in March but also in the rebuilding of the mosques and the returning of individuals.”
Mr Mohammed said the podcasts were about the pursuit of justice.
“It is time to look into justice, time to raise the voices of the victims," he said. "We have heard a lot about the perpetrators and the criminals but where are the victims? Their voices are now rising.
“This is the first time that I feel the voices of Mosul are heard and have been told by the people. This part of history should not be forgotten. We are making this about justice.”
The podcast series, called Mosul and the Islamic State: Justice and the Future of Mosul, reveals the untold stories from inside ISIS’s reign of terror, the pursuit of justice in its aftermath and the enduring struggle of Mosul's citizens for a brighter future.
Haroro Ingram, who wrote the podcasts, said they cover views from the streets of Mosul, the inside workings of ISIS, the standpoint of the generals and the Iraqi government, as well as the story of Omar.
“There are very real reasons to be optimistic about Mosul’s future,” he said.
Former CIA chief, Gen David Petraeus, who led US forces into Iraq, applauded Mr Mohammed for reporting from behind the lines.
“It was the best set of insight into what was going on,” he said.
Gen Petraeus said he was confident the recently besieged city would now thrive.
“As long as the people of Mosul are not interfered with by outside extremist groups and outside political elements, I’m confident the city will come back together,” he said. “That city is unique.”
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Teaching in coronavirus times
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
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More on animal trafficking
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
