OFFS Al-Kadhmya 30 – 31 and 5 – 6 – 7  October

In 2007 as sectarian civil war raged in Baghdad, a truck bomb targeting civilians ripped apart the bridge across the Tigris River connecting the Shiite and Sunnite neighbourhoods of Kadhmya and Admya. The explosion maimed and killed dozens on the bridge and send cars and their passengers tumbling into the river. During 30 – 31 October and 5 -6 -7 November, Kadhmya was host to an event reconnecting people from the neighbourhoods when children and coaches from both sides of the river came together at an Open Fun Football School. 232 boys - 163 Shiite and 64 Sunnite and 5 Kurdish - participated at the football school. En route by foot from the Sunni neighbourhood to join the children and youth at the pitch in the Shiite neighbourhood of Kadhmya, the procession of youth and coaches stopped on the bridge above the Tigris to throw flowers into the river in commemoration of the victims of the 2007 attack. Several passer-bys joined the group as they came to know the reasoning behind the walk.

 

 

Sunnite and Shiite representatives from both neighbourhoods, further a representative of Prime Minister Maliki’s office attended the opening ceremony of the football school. In attendance were also senior police officers who would like to learn from the project how to establish cross-cutting dialogue and multi-cultural activities during a post-war time characterised by strong mistrust and problems among the communities.

 

       

 

The TV stations Al Iraq TV and Afak TV further Al Sabah paper – major Iraq daily - covered the Open Fun Football School in Kadhmya.

 

 

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