Iraq: Photo Exhibition on Speicher Massacre Draws Young Visitors in Kufa

Iraq: Photo Exhibition on Speicher Massacre Draws Young Visitors in Kufa
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A photo exhibition documenting the 2014 Speicher massacre, which claimed the lives of 2,257 unarmed students and youths, has opened for the first time along the pilgrims’ route in Kufa. Organized by the Iraqi Center for Documenting Extremist Crimes near the shrine of Maytham al-Tammar, the event coincides with the Arbaeen pilgrimage.

The exhibition features not only images from the Speicher tragedy but also rare photographs and documents of victims of mass graves from before 2003, attacks on holy shrines, and terrorism victims in Iraq after 2003. Organizers reported significant attendance from young people close in age to the Speicher victims, many pausing to reflect on the faces in the photographs.

The center’s head said the exhibition aims to preserve national memory, highlight the human cost of violence, and raise awareness to prevent future atrocities. The display serves as a visual archive of Iraq’s history of conflict and resilience.