Students cleanse Iraq walls of hate speech

Eager to contribute to restoring stability in his war-stricken homeland that was once the cradle of civilisation, Ali Abdulrahman Mohammed devoted himself to rebuilding Iraq in his own way.

In his senior year at the University of Al Mamun, the 27-yearold launched the ‘Imprint of Hope’ organisation on January 15, 2015. He invited graduates and young people to participate in his journey of empowering the displaced and promoting the values of harmony and tolerance in the country wrecked by war and extremism.

Mohammed’s NGO focused on beautifying the city, redecorating schools and elderly homes, and providing relief items to Iraq’s camps and informal settlements.

On a typical day, he receives an ‘emergency’ phone call from a volunteer who reports seeing a racial slur on the walls of Baghdad. A group of young artists are immediately sent to transform the wall into a colourful and vibrant mural in a bid to fight radicalism with peace and compassion.

One such big project involved renovating and redecorating the Our Lady of Salvation (Sayedat Al Najat) Syriac Catholic Church in Baghdad that Al Qaida-aligned gunmen bombed in 2010, killing 58 worshippers, priests and policemen and injuring 78 more in the worst massacre against Iraqi Christians. “We were able to add

life to the church that has long held painful memories for citizens and worshippers,” said Mohammed.

Speaking of the group’s gesture, a priest said: “Their work planted joy to the hearts of worshippers and added colour to our life that unfortunately had become black and white. They remind us that with love and harmony, we can build Iraq.”

The widespread insecurity in Iraq since 2014 has sunk 10 million people in poverty and displaced over three million.

Thanks to Mohammed’s ‘Imprint of Hope’, over 2,000 racial slurs were replaced with 1,000 visually appealing murals, fostering a sense of belonging and pride within the Iraqi community. Through Facebook donations and efforts of 341 volunteers, 516 schools have been renovated and repaired to create a vibrant learning environment for students and reduce dropouts.

The group helped decorate five orphanages and three elderly homes, providing food and clothing to children and senior citizens. About 345 camps have been equipped with medical and relief items and the organisation’s 33 campaigns benefitted 500 people living in informal settlements across Iraq. The NGO has directly touched the lives of at least 2,500 Iraqis. “To make a positive change, we need to focus on being influential to add joy to people’s lives,” said Mohammed.

To make a positive change, we need to focus on being influential to add joy to people’s lives.”

Ali Abdulrahman Mohammed, founder, Imprint of Hope