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Osnat and Her Dove is a rich portrait of an early female Jewish hero
Through the power of storytelling and vibrant illustrations, Osnat and Her Dove will pull young and old readers into Osnat’s world. Written by Sigal Samuel with artwork by Vali Mintzi, Osnat and Her Dove: The True Story of the World’s First Female Rabbi is a fantastic illustrated children's book, which looks at the life of Osnat Barzani who lived from 1590 to 1670 in Mosul, Iraq. Osnat was born five hundred years ago – at a time when almost everyone believed in miracles. But very few believed that girls should learn to read. Yet Osnat&…
It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving
As Christmas approaches, people are looking to the Middle East and in particular at Bethlehem, which is symbolic because it is the location where the three wise men witnessed the miraculous virgin birth of Christ. In Arabic, the word Bethlehem is pronounced as Bayt Laḥm (House of Meat) while in Hebrew it's described as Bet Leḥem (House of Bread). To mark this festive season, Aid to the Church in Need's Christmas catalogue have a number of unique and affordable gifts, which will allow you to bring the historic birth of Christ into you…
Support in education lifts Iraqi children to the next level
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are an estimated 750 million adults around the world who lack basic reading and writing skills. Of all the adults estimated to be illiterate, a known 496 million of these are women. In Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation run mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, health care and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods across Baghdad. The ICF has two Hope Bus…
AMAR shines the light for mental health care in Iraq
Aveen is a Yazidi teenager, who is now living in a secure Displaced Person Camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She was a child when she was forced to leave her home because of ISIS/Da’esh, thus, Aveen grew up in an IDP camp. The trauma of leaving her home at an early age has resulted in serious psychological issues which were further amplified by the hardships of living in an IDP camp. Aveen is now a teenager studying in middle school. In the camp in which she stays, the AMAR Foundation has been on the frontline since 2014, delivering he…
Take a stand and help escape the shadow of war in Iraq
On Thursday the 25th November, the United Nations’ will mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, an event which carries significant meaning for girls and women across Iraq. In 2014, thousands of women and girls from religious minorities in northern Iraq were captured by ISIS and since the military defeat of the group, many have returned to their families and have been left traumatized by their experiences. But they face a host of challenges in accessing effective treatment and sometimes rehabilitation can al…
Restoration of Mosul churches brings hope to Christian community
Cymbals, prayers and Chaldean Catholic liturgy resounded in Mosul’s Saint George monastery, where Iraqi faithful marked the restoration of two churches destroyed by jihadists in their former stronghold. Dozens gathered in one of the monastery’s churches that have been rebuilt in stone six years after the Islamic State group (IS) pulverized them, in a city home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. It is the latest sign of a slow return to normality in Iraq’s second city. Mosul was left in ruins after three years of jihadist occup…
Latif Al Ani: 'father of Iraqi photography' dies aged 89
One of Iraq's most celebrated photographers, Latif Al Ani, has died at the age of 89. Known by many as the "father of Iraqi photography", Al Ani was famed for documenting daily life in Iraq during the country's "golden age". Al Ani’s grandson, Abdul-Latif Mustafa Abdul-Latif, confirmed the death to The National. Four months ago, Al Ani was diagnosed with cancer of the bone marrow, said Abdul-Latif. He had receiving medical treatment at Baghdad Medical City hospital, where he died on Thursday. His wife and two so…
State of the art centers to save newborns in Iraq
GE Healthcare and the Iraqi Ministry of Health have signed an agreement to build 22 Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU) across the country. This will help to provide life-saving care to the country’s most vulnerable population every day. It aims to provide outstanding, holistic, and infant focused care that is equipped to deal with neonatal emergencies and common neonatal conditions. Utilizing a flexible and collaborative partnership approach, each unit will be designed and developed to focus on providing much-needed attention to high-risk ne…
Basra's famous date syrup invokes Iraq's ancient tastes
Dates are among the oldest cultivated fruits in the world. The Babylonians are known to have cultivated this fruit some 8,000 years ago. Dates grow on date palms, which were once considered to be the “tree of life”. In ancient times, every part of the date palm was used: the buds and fruits were consumed or dried and ground into flour, the fibers were utilized for weaving and even the date kernels were used in animal feed. Because not all dates are suitable for consumption, those dates were preserved and processed into syrup. Ancient cunei…
