OFFS Al-Salaam Baghdad 1 – 5 October

 

In 2005 the civil war in Baghdad reached Askan West as death squads sought to make the terror of ethnic cleansing and sectarian war take hold inside this neighbourhood, where a majority of Shiite was living side by side with families of Sunnite and Christian and Kurds. Though the cruelties of the death squads in a short spate of time left the Shiite community bereaved of 32 members, the people of Askan West resisted letting the terror ignite yet more sectarian strife, like the one raging elsewhere in Baghdad.

 

 

 

The activities of Al-Salaam Football Club - Cross Cultures’ (CCPA) partner in Iraq – have been among initiatives that have contributed to keep Askan West stay clear of getting embroiled by the civil war. In 2005, and during the following 3 years, Al-Salaam FC started implementing ten multi-sectarian Open Fun Football Schools. At the same time the coaches revived the activities of their old club, now in new premises donated by the municipality. And when security did not allow for the more spectacular and longer lasting Open Fun Football Schools, and the streets were closed to avert car bomb attacks, the CCPA educated instructors regularly turned alleys and main streets of the neighbourhood into multi-sectarian “sport streets”. As thousands of children of many backgrounds took part, and even girls started to participate at football schools and playing in the club, this signalled an impressive dream of an Iraq where the different population groupings are living and developing peacefully with and among one another. 

 

This year, with funds provided by the MFA Denmark, CCPA-al-Salaam Football School is reaching out to include other parts of Iraq in this dream. A multi-cultural Open Fun Football Schools coach seminar with the participation of 92 Shiite, Sunnite, Christian, Kurd and Turmenian coaches from the regions of Baghdad, Najaf, Basra, Kirkuk and Suleimania was held in the club premises of Al-Salaam FC in August. Since then the many school leaders and coaches and coach assistants have been busy implementing Open Fun Football Schools locally.

 

 

Each area and every Open Fun Football School have their own story. As for the one implemented in Askan West 1 – 5 October, the coaches wanted to put emphasis on the life cheering elements: the Fun and the Dancing and the Music – “that you are allowed to laugh”! As the school gathered boys and girls from 4 surrounding neighbourhoods 170 children attended the first day, but as sound and word of the Open Fun Football School drifted further more children were attracted and numbers quickly climbed to a total of 217 children - 117 Shiite, 81 Sunnite, 11 Kurds, 5 Turkmenian, 3 Christian, of whom 43 were girls. Two newspapers and 5 local/satellite TV channels covered the Open Fun Football School in Askan West.

 

 

To see more photos go to the gallery