Mosul media gearing up for peace and positive role

It was in June 2014 that the group known as Islamic State (IS) took control of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Soon followed ethnic and religious cleansing that saw non-Sunni Muslims, notably Shia Muslims, expelled alongside Christians and Yazidi families. Young Yazidi girls were kept as sex slaves to men among IS fighters and others.

Fast forward to the current fight of liberating Mosul from IS, many media stories has centered on how non-Sunni Muslim liberators are revenging IS atrocities by accusing all Sunnis of supporting IS.

“My female cousin was one of the slaves taken by IS terrorists. However, after weeks of attempting to flee on her own, a Sunni family helped her and she was able to leave Mosul. This story proves that not all Sunnis are IS supporters, but rather supporters of decency and humanity. This story needs be told, says Fryal Alyasi, a journalist and herself from the Yazidi minority.

Fryal Alyasi is part of a group of Mosul journalists who recently gathered face to face in order to prepare for a time without IS dominating the city.

As the coalition against IS advanced earlier in 2017 IMS initiated communication with almost 30 Mosul journalists with a view to foster ideas and collaboration amongst an otherwise often-divided media sector. Some of the journalists continues to live in the city, while others fled following the IS occupation in 2014.

At the meeting the general assumption was that once Mosul is free, all the liberating armies and militias will begin to compete among themselves and seek control of the city. Those militias will launch their own media to promote their own agendas.

“After Mosul is free we need to rebuild social cohesion by telling stories in a way that prevent revenge and ethnic cleansing. Let us not use the same tools as IS used against Yazidis and Christians,” says Fryal Alyasi. She has no illusions though; independent media will be weak as it cannot rely on support from militias and political parties. For Mosul’s media to operate free from political agendas and as a vehicle for peace, outside support will be important.

To Osama Al Habahbeh, programme manager for IMS’ activities in Iraq, the launch of a network of independent Mosul media brings lofts of hope.

“The idea is to create a media platform in Mosul, where editors and journalists will be able to publish independent journalism and receive training in conflict sensitive journalism and how media can promote social cohesion and fight hate speech,” he believes.

The group, which counts Muslims, Christians, Yazidi, Shabak and Kakai members, praised the project and said that is more needed now than ever, due to the confrontation between ethnic and religious groups in Iraq.

“Five of my family members were executed by IS, accused of trying to flee the city and since the invasion I have had to hide in different places. IS had names of all journalists and many were forced to work for them against their will,” says Maysar Adany, a Shia Muslim journalist who fled Mosul a few months ago.

For two years Maysar Adany lived in a hell; isolated and with no contact to anyone outside the house, afraid of being caught.

“I spent my time writing stories. IS was and is trying to divide Iraqi citizens between different religions and ethnicity in order to exert control. I wrote about my suffering and the help I got from persons from different religions and ethnic groups. I would like to publish those stories to remind the world how different religious groups supported each other against the threats of IS, the journalist says.

Farqad Malako left Mosul in June 2014. To her Mosul was a city of art and culture were all religions lived peacefully together. That was her life before June 2014.

“Now I want to return to Mosul to rebuild societal harmony and as a journalist, I feel that media need to take part in restoring this harmony,” she says.

The Mosul group of journalists and writers will launch the media platform with support from IMS.

Follow this work on the designated Facebook page and on Neproo.

See also Social cohesion in Iraq assisted by new Code of Ethics