Page 206 - UAE Ministry of Culture PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2025

9/12/25, 2:54 PM Sheikh Mohamed wanted culture of life in Mosul to defeat culture of death, UAE minister says | The National
"It's the people-to-people, it's their commitment," she insisted, after walking the centuries-old alleys of the city and being greeted
with music and dance by residents as they celebrated the completion of project Revive the Spirit of Mosul.

"When you give hope to people and you bring back the spirit of a place that they are part of, we share the same," she added.

"We share how important is restoring and reawakening such monuments, not just for the facade, but for living in a place that is
prosperous, a place that celebrates people from multicultural backgrounds, people from different faiths."

A Flourish map
ISIS fighters shell-shocked Iraq and the world when they seized Mosul in June 2014 after a brief battle with the army which
quickly withdrew, turning the city and its ancient labyrinth of alleyways into a launchpad for a brutal regional campaign.

It was from the same mosque that ISIS’s former leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, declared a “caliphate” in July that year. His video,
climbing the stairs to deliver his first sermon, is etched into the collective memory of Iraqis and the world.

For Ms Al Kaabi, "coexistence and stability" are what will bring hope to the young Muslims and to the region.

"I believe the darkness that Daesh wanted to spread is now lit by the people of Mosul, by the women and children of Mosul," she
affirmed. "We will never be able to forget the history or the past, but I think we can redefine what the future is."

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