Last updated on: April
21, 2017 08:40 IST rediffmail.com
Amid the
sounds of gunbattle and bombs exploding, on Wednesday, the sound of music arose
from the ruins of Mosul in Iraq, all thanks to one man -- Ameen Mukdad.The
28-year-old Iraqi violinist was responsible for a small concert in the city he
was forced to flee by Islamic State militants.
Meet the
man behind the music.
All
photographs: Muhammad Hamed/Reuters
In 2014, Ameen Mukdad fled Mosul after Islamic State fighters
stormed his house and confiscated his instruments, deeming his music a
violation of their hardline interpretation of Sunni Islam. The recently-held
concert was his homecoming after he fled the violence. 
Mukdad performed his tunes at the Tomb of Jonas, or Mosque of the
Prophet Younis, as the site is known by Muslims, to symbolise unity. Asked
about the significance behind the location, the 28-year-old Iraqi was quoted as
saying by Reuters, "This is a place for all, not just one sect. Daesh (Islamic State) represents no religion but is an
ideology that suppresses freedom. Everything about Daesh is wrong."
According to Mukdad, anyone who opposes music is ugly. His tunes
for the concert, he said, were composed in secret while living under the
militants' austere rule.
And how were people informed of his concert? Mukdad,
daringly, advertised the concert venue and time on social media. At a time
when bombs are being dropped and war is being fought, Mukdad took the brave
step of using social media -- a move that is once again looked down by the
Islamic State.
Tahany Saleh, one of the concert-goers, was quoted as saying,
"The performance was like a dream. I wanted to come to give a message that
war has not stopped life in Mosul. You can see all this damage but still we
still want to be happy, we want to listen music."
However, the concert initially didn't hit the high notes. In fact,
soldiers guarding the venue almost shut down the event even before it started
when the boom of a rocket rang out.
But,
later, they relented and were soon enjoying the music and applauded the
violinist.
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