What are you reading today?
Hussein Al-alak is the editor of Iraq Solidarity News (Al-Thawra). Hussein is also a regular guest on Radio Offbeat, on Manchester's ALLFM. I was delighted to visit the Wood Street Mission, with a special World Book Day contribution for their ‘Books Forever’ appeal . It’s incredible that here in England and according to the National Literacy Trust : “1…
Read in full »
Genocide in Europe: It couldn’t happen again. Or, could it?
Is there an answer to Elon Musk and his question : “Could what happened to the Yazidi people one day happen to Europe?” Let’s remember it was St. Maximilian Kolbe, who died in Auschwitz but had stated: ’ The most deadly poison of our time is indifference .’ To get an insight, when answering such a question like the one asked by Musk, people should look at …
Read in full »
A very merry Christmas thank you from Hussein Al-alak
Thanks to the generosity of local residents, on Saturday 30th November Christmas on Burton Road, in Manchester, England, raised over £1200 to aid the excellent work of the Wood Street Mission. This incredible amount was on top of donations of gifts and chocolates! Since 1869, Wood Street Mission have been supporting families across Manchester and Salford …
Read in full »
Lebanon appeal gathers momentum
We’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone who has helped raise £237.00 so far, to support Aid to the Church in Need and their work across the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Sisters of Our Lady of Good Service have opened their convent to provide refuge to hundreds fleeing intense bombing. But as winter approaches, the challenges grow—keeping everyone warm…
Read in full »
Hussein Al-alak urges support for ACN's Red Wednesday
For children growing up in war, conflict or with the threat of violence, the world is a dangerous place. In countries where Christians are persecuted, children are ‘collateral damage’ in the overall brutality – and the numbers run to millions. In the leadup to #RedWednesday (20th November), ACN are calling for action and they need our help! This year, I’m…
Read in full »
Talking about Iraq, with Hussein Al-alak on Manchester radio
It was a pleasure to join Sile Martin on Radio Offbeat - on ALLFM - and talk about the AMAR International Charitable Foundation and the Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF) . Both AMAR and the ICF do incredible work with vulnerable communities across Iraq and it’s great that we can connect these experiences with people here in Manchester. Just this Summer, AM…
Read in full »
The power of words can rebuild lives
Back in 2019, the UK-based AMAR International Charitable Foundation published these photographs from their school for orphans in Basra, Iraq. Each image demonstrates how AMAR is making positive changes to the lives of Iraqi children, through the power of the written word. As Hussein Al-alak explains, AMAR's school for orphans was built in 2016 and up …
Read in full »
As Christmas approaches, let’s make every child matter
“Every child matters!” These were the words spoken by Sile Martin during Hussein Al-alak's interview on Radio Offbeat, on Manchester’s ALLFM. For Hussein "it was great to join Sile and talk about the work of Wood Street Mission, Combat Stress, the Royal British Legion and Blind Veterans UK. As Christmas approaches, we need your help to spread some…
Read in full »
It's the taking part that counts. Hussein Al-alak reflects on rebuilding lives
pictured is Hussein Al-alak and Tracy Hollowood on the Run Media City 5K in Salford for the AMAR International Charitable Foundation. You can contribute to AMAR’s ongoing work here . “I can’t believe it’s been 4 years, since I took part on Salford’s Run Media City with my good friend Tracy. It was also fabulous, to adorn our Thunderbirds costumes and promo…
Read in full »
Wood Street Mission are breaking the cycle of poverty in Manchester
On Thursday 29th June, Hussein Al-alak joined Sile Martin on Radio Offbeat -on Manchester’s ALLFM- where they spoke with Des Lynch, CEO of Wood Street Mission. Hussein Al-alak recalls the conversation with Des Lynch here. It was great to join Sile Martin on Radio Offbeat, where we were also joined by Des Lynch, CEO of Manchester’s Wood Street Mission . It …
Read in full »
“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world”
The Wood Street Mission’s Books Forever Appeal runs throughout the year. By collecting donations of books, Manchester’s Wood Street Mission distribute brand new books to children and young people through their Family Basics programme and school based Book Roadshows. The AMAR International Charitable Foundation also run the School for Orphans which is loc…
Read in full »
Hussein Al-alak joins Sile Martin on Manchester’s ALLFM to talk about 'the power of books'
On Thursday 9th March, Hussein Al-alak joined Sile Martin on Radio Offbeat - on Manchester’s 96.9 ALL FM - and spoke about 'the power of books'. Books for pleasure and for learning are central to the AMAR Foundation’s work in Iraq, and are also playing a leading role in the Wood Street Missions Books Forever Appeal . Throughout the conversation…
Read in full »
Child protection in times of conflict. How does this work?
How do you protect children and young people from human trafficking? One approach is applied by the Iraqi Children Foundation , whose teams hold critical awareness sessions for young people at risk. Human trafficking is a real concern in Iraq and ICF teams are working hard to put an end to this practice. As Mohammed Khudairi. then chairman of Iraqi Childre…
Read in full »
Building the safety net. Child protection in a time of conflict
This year marks twenty years since the 2003 US/UK invasion of Iraq. Launched on the basis that Saddam Hussain’s government possessed ‘weapons of mass destruction’, which could hit neighbouring countries in '45 minutes’, the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq started a chain reaction of events, which can still be felt to this day. The following …
Read in full »
Stories are vital in a commonwealth of equals
Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, we’ve been hearing allot about Paddington Bear , who arrived in London from Peru. As the Queen was also head of the Commonwealth of Nations , which is made up of independent countries and represents around 2.5 billion people -“with more than 60 per cent aged 29 or under”- let’s remember that another famous friend of …
Read in full »
Remembering The Farhud - June 1 and 2, 1941
In the 1940’s, a third of Baghdad’s population was Jewish. Within a decade nearly all of Iraq’s 150,000 Jews had fled. The Wolf of Baghdad is a graphic memoir of a lost homeland and a wordless narrative for a home never visited, with its own original soundtrack of Judeo-Arabic and Iraqi music recorded by the ground-breaking band 3yin. The Wolf of Baghdad i…
Read in full »
Get close to nature with your own Iraqi garden
Check out The Iraqi Seed Collective, which includes the Awafi Kitchen in the USA; who specialize in Iraqi-Jewish cuisine and talking about their Middle Eastern heritage. The aim is to create an Iraqi seed library and to uplift Iraq's ancient cultures by embracing the power of nature. The Iraqi Seed Collective is made up of people from different Iraqi …
Read in full »
Looking to the future, the Iraqi Children Foundation are rebuilding lives in Iraq
The Iraqi Children Foundation intervenes in the lives of orphans and street children who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and exploitation by criminals, traffickers and extremists. The organization was set up ten years ago by Americans who saw the need to help rebuild Iraq after so many years of conflict. "It was a privilege to travel to Iraq this pa…
Read in full »
Live, travel, adventure, and don't be sorry. How Iraq's bloggers took up the Beat Generation torch
I was recently reading the Selected Letters of Jack Kerouac , when a number of thoughts crossed my mind about the amazing and unique characters that made up the American Beat Generation. What was striking about Kerouac's letters, was the yearning to learn from the experience of travel, where being part of the journey ignited the senses for participati…
Read in full »
Taking on trauma, join March in March for Combat Stress
All through next month, Hussein Al-alak will be doing a 10 mile journey across Manchester, in support of veterans mental health care, with all proceeds going to the British charity Combat Stress. I'd like to give a massive thank you to Radio Offbeat, on Manchester's ALLFM, for giving me the time on Thursday, February 10th, to talk about getting inv…
Read in full »
