Prayers for victims in the church square that was turned into a prison by ISIS
Pope Francis’s visit to the northern city of Mosul, where he prayed yesterday for war victims amid the ruins of four churches, brought back bitter memories of the darkest days of ISIS for Yassir Goyani.
The area is in the heart of Mosul’s Old City and known locally as Hosh Al Bieaa, or Church Square, after the four churches representing different denominations that stood for centuries as testament to Iraq’s once flourishing Christian community.
When ISIS occupied the city from 2014 to 2017, the complex served as the headquarters of the group’s feared Diwan Al Hisba, or Morality Police, and included a jail and court.
The group’s fighters, mainly wearing Afghan-style clothing, roamed the streets, ensuring that the group’s laws were obeyed and punishing those who broke them.
The force included women, who helped to arrest and punish female offenders.
“Crimes” included smoking or selling cigarettes, wearing western-style clothing and keeping shops open during prayer time.
It was in early 2015 that Mosul resident Mr Goyani – a Muslim – went on a high-risk journey to help family friends.
A 17-year-old friend had been jailed, along with his 10-yearold brother, when their father, who was an official at the electoral commission, fled an ISIS raid.
“Their mother and sister were afraid to visit them, so I did the mission instead and took clothing and food for them,” Mr Goyani, 27, told The National.
“I still remember an angry militant with a long beard. I think he was from North Africa, maybe from Tunisia or Algeria, from his accent. He kept asking me questions about my friends and their father,” he said.
After entering the complex, he saw an ISIS member lashing a man in his 30s in the churchyard for smoking.
An elderly woman was begging to be allowed to see her son, while another militant pushed a man into the jail.
In one corner of the square, books had been piled up, among them works written by moderate Muslim clerics and writers.
Windows were blocked up with thick steel plates, while doors were fortified with new latches and locks.
Nearly two weeks later, the two brothers were released.
“Those are bitter memories I don’t want to remember, but they are hard to erase,” he said.
More than three years after ISIS was declared defeated, large parts of Mosul – mainly in the Old City – still lie in ruins, because of a lack of funding, chronic mismanagement, corruption and political infighting.