Omar Mohammed first gained international prominence in 2014 as the anonymous blogger “Mosul Eye”, risking his life to document daily existence in the occupied city of Mosul, Iraq. His blog was considered one of the few reliable, real-time sources of information on life under the Islamic State (aka ISIS or Daesh in Arabic), and proved to be a critical source of information for journalists, policy-makers, and scholars.

Mosul was liberated from ISIS in 2017 but only after an extended, months-long battle that left much of the city badly damaged. Omar, now based in France, remains deeply connected to Mosul, having launched numerous social initiatives to rebuild the city and document the stories of its inhabitants. “The moment you are labeled as a scholar, and the moment you are free, then you have to give back to the society,” he says. “It’s a must.”

“It never crossed my mind to stop…” Omar Mohammed on using scholarship for the public good 39:41 Share

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“It never crossed my mind to stop…” Omar Mohammed on using scholarship for the public good