Recovering From Daish, Filming the Streets of Mosul (2017–2021)

Mosul city, September 2021. Photo credit: Muna Fadhil

In this video, I explore the depth of destruction Daish left on Mosul City when it claimed it as the capital of its “Caliphate” in 2014. Not everyone in my vast family (hint: I have 40 cousins…) was able to flee, and they were subsequently forced to live through the horrors of life under Daish—like watching a neighbor get shot point-blank, the gun inches from her face. Or how a cousin (yes, one of the 40) took Daish’s Hisba, or “virtue police,” on a mad chase after they caught him buying shisha tobacco.

There is no shooting or chase scenes in my video—obviously not. I merely wander around and gasp at the destruction, mostly using a cellphone camera to remain inconspicuous, so please pardon the shaky footage.

The video does not contain any graphic content, but some may find it triggering. It is not suitable for children.