Hussein Kamel / Souq Al-Shuyoukh
Knights of Dialogue / 30
Our tour was swift, racing against time. Our souls flew from one place to another before our feet did. We wanted to embrace the city in two days and one night…
We wandered through the Nineveh Plain and Mosul, seeing, listening, and meeting prominent figures in the region—religious leaders, social and political figures, vendors, and passersby…
The spirit of coexistence and love among the components of society was palpable in their smiles.
The meetings were not merely formal; they carried a warm human touch that reflected the kindness and generosity of the people of Nineveh.
When you enter Nineveh, you immediately feel the difference that sets it apart from other cities in northern Iraq…
You sense a living history walking among the people.
It is as if the air carries the scent of the past, blending with the sounds of church bells and the call to prayer from mosques, in a scene you can only witness here.
My father always used to tell us about the sound of the church bell in our city, which fell silent after the Christians of my city migrated during the sectarian fighting, depriving us of its sound… Today, I live that moment after Father Eddie honored us by ringing the church bell in tribute to our visit…
In the Nineveh Plain, among the ancient walls of the churches, a feeling of serenity crept into my heart, as if the place embraces everyone who enters it, regardless of their affiliation. I looked at the smiling faces around me and felt that faith is not measured by sect, but by the love that resides in hearts.
We toured churches and mosques that stand as witnesses to the depth of religious diversity in this city. Inside the churches, we felt the sanctity of the place and the fragrance of faith, and in the mosques we heard prayers seeking peace and unity among people despite their different affiliations.
In its vast plain where the Shabak reside, our camp settled among the homes of people in whose eyes Iraq floats between their eyelids. Our first cup of coffee was poured from the dallahs of the guesthouse of Sayyid Ali Al-Hurr Al-A’araji, the most prominent Shabak religious leader in the plain.
To the rhythm of his introductory stories about the history of the Shabak and the depth of their presence in the region, we arrived at the shrine of the companion Zayn Al-Abidin—a grand structure with a spiritual atmosphere that coincided with the performance of the noon prayer at the mosque located in the village of Ali Rash.
As for the food, I do not know where to begin…
All Iraqi cities compete in honoring their visitors and presenting a masterpiece of culinary art and hospitality, but discovering Shabak cuisine was an epic tale written by the women of the household of the Shabak notable and one of their most prominent figures, Qusay Abbas.
The conversation with researcher Abdul Zahra Al-Agha was rich with insights into ancient and modern history—politically, socially, and literarily.
In Mosul…
The youth are deeply attached to their city, collecting everything that documents its resilience and its civilizational and human depth, preserving it in a museum for everyone who passes through this strong city to see.
Believers from different religions and sects welcome all arrivals without asking about religion, color, or ethnicity, competing to honor them out of love for their shared identity…
This is Iraq, brothers… the land of One Thousand and One Nights has today become a land of great legends, rich with lessons of patience, steadfastness, and resistance.
We returned from Mosul, but a part of our souls remained there, and we carried with us beautiful memories and images that express the unity of this country and its diversity, which forms the source of its strength and beauty.
The journey to Nineveh was more than just a visit; it was a rich human and cultural experience that brought together past and present, faith and coexistence, pain and hope.
The leaning minaret stands, defying all forms of violence, rising again as a powerful symbol of perseverance, the will to live, and overcoming a painful past…
