Children of the Tigris: An Iraqi Night of Memory and Dialogue

For centuries, the Tigris has carried the voices of Iraq’s many peoples, echoing stories of coexistence, loss, and resilience. This night was an invitation to listen to those echoes once more.

On March 11, four Iraqis—two Jews and two Muslims— shared poetry, memory, and reflections on a history that binds them despite time and distance. Sarah, Omar, Edwin, and Faisal have each, in their way, dedicated themselves to preserving Iraq’s Jewish heritage, safeguarding a past that belongs to all Iraqis.

Through conversation, they traced the currents of memory: the Iraq that was, the Iraq that remains, and the Iraq that may yet be. In a time when forgetting is easy, this gathering was a quiet act of defiance—a reminder that history endures, that voices once silenced can still be heard, and that dialogue remains a bridge between the past and the future.

An evening where words reclaimed lost spaces, heritage was remembered and honored, and the Tigris still flows, carrying with it the stories of those who refuse to let them fade.

Panelists:

• Sarah Sassoon – Iraqi Jewish writer, poet, and educator
• Edwin Shuker – International businessman, former Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
• Faisal Al Mutar – Founder, Ideas Beyond Borders
• Omar Mohammed – Director, Antisemitism Research Initiative (ARI) at The George Washington University