Mosul a Decade after the Caliphate: Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Resilience

On June 26th, the Program on Extremism at the George Washington University hosted an online discussion titled "Mosul a Decade after the Caliphate: Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Resilience." This significant event featured the Rev. Karam Shamasha, parish priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church of St. George in Telskuf; Murad Ismael, CEO and Founder of Sinjar Academy; Asmaa Khalid, an entrepreneur from Mosul; and Junaid  Sorosh-Wali, Head of Culture Program at UNESCO Iraq Office.

The discussion focused on the ongoing efforts of recovery in Mosul ten years after the caliphate's brutal rule. It highlighted the different approaches to reconstruction and rehabilitation, addressing the local communities' profound challenges and resilient responses. Each speaker brought a unique perspective on the post-conflict recovery process, shedding light on the socio-economic and cultural revival in the region.

This event aimed to comprehensively understand Mosul's journey from devastation to resilience, emphasizing the collaborative efforts required to rebuild and sustain peace and stability. Participants gained insights into the practical measures implemented to foster community resilience and the critical role of international support in these efforts.

This event was moderated by our senior fellow Omar Mohammed.

On June 26, 2024, the Program on Extremism (PoE) at The George Washington University hosted an event entitled “Mosul a Decade after the Caliphate: Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Resilience.” Panelists entrepreneur Asmaa Khalid, Reverend Karam Shamasha, CEO and founder of Sinjar Academy Murad Ismael, and UNESCO Iraq’s Head of Culture Program Junaid Sorosh-Wali joined PoE Senior Research Fellow, Omar Mohammed to discuss the reconstruction of Mosul, the current state of its recovery, and the future of the city.

Asmaa Khalid shared her experiences as a female entrepreneur in Mosul, in congruence with the growing role of women and girls in Iraqi society. From Khalid’s perspective, evidence of Moul’s progress is seen through the revitalization of cultural life in the city. As Mosul’s residents feel more comfortable in the city streets, in crowds, and at night, they begin to heal from the traumas of the past decade. As culture slowly returns to the city, Khalid explains that Mosul is becoming safer for all of its residents, including historically marginalized groups, such as women and religious minorities.

Khalid then shared that women are experiencing a period of empowerment. Prior to 2014, women were significantly marginalized in Iraqi society and largely relegated to domestic roles. Under the Islamic State, women were further oppressed and unable to live freely. Since liberation, Khalid has witnessed a wave of women’s empowerment and a surge in women’s rights in Mosul. Today, women can work in a variety of careers across numerous disciplines. Khalid believes thatthis benefits all of Iraqi society, as women becoming more involved in Iraqi culture and society, outside of traditional domestic roles, assists/spurs Iraqi progress towards a just and equitable future for all.

While progress has been made, Khalid explained that working towards progress is not always safe, and further progress is needed. After liberation from IS, she received comments on social media expressing concern for her and her family’s safety. However, her dedication to this work outweighed any concerns. Khalid attests that she will “keep fighting for girls in the future”by creating more employment opportunities for Mosul’s women and girls, who are often accused of stealing jobs from men. Khalid plans to continue her work dedicated to  improving women’s lives in Mosul and Iraq as a whole.

Rev. Karam Shamasha, Parish Priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church of St. George in Telskuf, described how the resilience and values of the Christian community will allow it to overcome present challenges.

Despite the long history of Christians in Mosul, the presence and aftermath of the Islamic State created an unprecedented situation in which Christians were forced to either flee the city or renounce their faiths because of religious persecution. For the first time in hundreds of years, there were no Christians in Mosul. After liberation, Christians were still reluctant to return to Mosul out of fear of further persecution. Today, there are drastically less Christians in Mosul than prior to 2014, causing Father Karam to be concerned, yet hopeful, about the future of Christianity in Mosul.

However, Father Karam has faith that the Christian community of Mosul will recover due to their values and resilience. The Christian community has faced numerous challenges throughout their long history in Mosul and has recovered each time. Additionally, he explained how the Christian spirit of hope and peace can offer guidance to Christians working to rebuild their community in Mosul. He shared, “For sure, the hope exists” and further explained how suffering produces character, which in turn produces hope. Specifically, he suggested that education may be the key to creating a more inclusive Iraqi society. Through education, it is possible to decrease anti-Christian rhetoric in Iraqi society and allow the Christian community to peacefully return to their home city.

Murad Ismael, CEO and Founder of Sinjar Academy, opined that Iraqi society cannot move forward without initially seeking accountability and justice for the trauma of the past decade.

While for many in Mosul, 2014 felt like the end of the world, Ismael was impressed by the resilience of Iraqis and is hopeful that a better future is possible. However, he stated that Iraq must take certain steps to close this chapter of its history. Primarily, Iraqi society must reckon with the traumatic withdrawal of the Islamic State in 2014 and fully understand what ISIS is, why it was nearly able to succeed in establishing a Caliphate in Iraq, and how it has harmed Iraqi society and culture. Ismael believes that there is a genuine national desire to reverse what happened and seek justice for those harmed. For Ismael, this lack of willingness to pursue change indicates that Iraq is currently unstable. He fears that Iraq will continue to fall into cycles of violence and distress.

According to Ismael, there needs to be a national dialogue surrounding ISIS and its ideology. He shared that many Iraqis do not fully understand ISIS and have fallen victim to misinformation campaigns. To reconstruct Mosul and Iraqi culture, Iraqis must reckon with the past decade and examine the political Islamization of Iraqi society, which he believes is incompatible with Iraqi culture. Prior to the arrival of the Islamic State, Mosul was a diverse region. Without justice and accountability, the marginalized groups who fled Mosul in 2014 may feel uncomfortable and unsafe returning.This uneasiness promotes the idea that Mosul is unable to be restored to its previous cultural state.

Junaid Sorosh-Wali, the Head of the Culture Program for UNESCO Iraq, offered insight into the ways the physical reconstruction of Mosul can offer Iraqis a pathway to cultural reconstruction and healing.

Another important development after the fall of ISIS was the restoration of targeted religious and cultural sites in the former territory of the Caliphate. As explained by Junaid Sorosh-Wali, rebuilding structures destroyed by ISIS is essential to reviving the culture of cities such as Mosul. Thus, this allows residents to regain access to historical sites, painting a diverse picture of the various religious and ethnic groups that have called the region home.

UNESCO has worked directly with Iraqis to rebuild Mosul’s buildings, infrastructure, and architecture. By rebuilding historic homes and historical monuments, UNESCO has helped restore the spirit of the city and revitalize communities in Mosul. By “restoring resident’s access to their history,” UNESCO can assist in rehabilitating Iraqi culture in Mosul, and help initiate the healing process for Iraqi societies.