Iraqi artists strive for a better future in post-COVID era

Educational duty

One of the participants in the Ministry of Culture festival, Kadhim Shamhoud, an Iraqi artist in his 60s, said the artist has an educational duty to the world.

"As artists, our mission is to use our artistic tools to serve the society by conveying an educational message to the society about crises and pandemics, especially as coronavirus is sweeping the world," Shamhoud said.

It is part of the responsibility of the artist to change people's thoughts and feelings in the aftermath of the disease to prepare for the era that follows, Shamhoud added.

"Art is a universal message concerned with beauty, peace, love, cooperation that can be exploited to change the thoughts of society's members. The change must start from families, schools, and streets,"Shamhoud explained.

Zahraa Khalil, a 23-year-old female artist, believes it is necessary to prepare for a better future since the epidemic has turned life in all its details upside down and revealed the weakness of our world.

"My message for a better future is to start paying attention to family health, education, revive the spirit of cooperation and love among the peoples of the world instead of hatred, extremism, and conflicts,"Khalil said.

She believes changing the thoughts and feelings of communities "is an essential step in reshaping a new world that can take better care of human and nature issues instead of spending on weapons and wars."

"Hope is always there. Humanity has been hit with many diseases, such as tuberculosis, plague, and cholera, as well as wars that have destroyed entire countries. But the world has always been able to cope with adversity and get over them,"Hamza concluded.