Iraq, Beyond The Shores
© Maxime CrozetFrom the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates, from the Shatt al-Arab ("Stream of the Arabs") to the mountains of Kurdistan, Iraq, after 30 years of disaster, is today facing many social, economic and political issues, the continuing security threats and growing ecological challenges. From beyond the shores ... these are the murmurs of hope and uncertainty, sometimes of spite, of Arabs and Kurds, refugees and exiles. It is the Mesopotamian swamps that constitute the ultimate wealth of the cradle of ancient Sumerian and Assyrian civilizations, threatened by drought and water scarcity. It is the song of Najmadin from the top of his Kurdish village, on the Iranian border of the land of Hawraman. These are the stories of families and villagers harassed by ISIS, the dreams and disillusions of young people looking for a future. Sometimes desolation. It is the silence of the ravaged alleys of old Mosul, the resistance and determination of the Peshmerga ("Those who face death"). It is the religious fervour of the holy cities of Nadjaf and Kerbala, or the devastating archaeological sites and ancient cities under threat ... After the storm, what remains of the Land of the Two Rivers?
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