The Childhood and Youth Division organizes a visit to the children of Mosul and affirms that it has a vision and an educational program that can address many of the cognitive distortions that have afflicted them.

The Childhood and Youth Division of the Department of Intellectual and Cultural Affairs at the al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine has organized a visit to the children in the displaced camps in Mosul, in order to contribute to the removal of the residues of ISIL thought during the control of the terrorist gangs in these areas. The children were the most impacted, as the gangs have established terrorist ideas and beliefs based on the approach of killing and destruction.

This initiative is based on the belief that the war with the ISIL entity and terrorist organizations can not end with weapons, but the real battle will take place in the hearts and minds of children who represent the next generation.

The delegation official and the head of edition of Al-Rayahin magazin; Mr. Ali al-Badri briefed us on this visit and its objectives. He said: "The al-Abbas's (p) holy shrine did not spare any effort to contribute to raising the injustice and suffering of the displaced, by holding many programs and activities, especially for the children. And this visit to the children of Mosul is to inspect their conditions in the camps for the displaced, including the camps of al-Jad'ah and Haj Ali as a first step, as well as the areas adjacent to the camps or on the roads leading to it."

He added: "The visit included a number of activities such as:

1- Distribution of toys.

Reading collectively some of the educational stories.

3- Setting up small recreational games for the children of the camp.

4- Establishing an exhibition of educational caricatures.

5- Distribution of al-Rayahin Magazine (special edition for the children of the liberated areas)."

Mr. al-Badri explained that: "The Department of Childhood and Youth at the al-Abbas's (p) holy shrine has issued a special edition of the al-Rayahin Magazine, which is published monthly for children since eight years with great care, an edition in which educational matters and problems suffered by children who lived under the rule of terrorist organizations, were discussed in a simple and understandable manner, focusing on raising the national spirit and peaceful coexistence among the members of Iraqi society. This special edition starts with letters of the children of Karbala to the children of the liberated areas, conveying them their feelings of love and brotherhood and praying for their salvation from what they suffer, in addition to the interpretation of some verses of the Holy Quran that urge on the cooperation and brotherhood, as well as a variety of stories and songs about the love of the homeland and the hope for a better tomorrow. This edition has also discussed the definition of the army as an official institution in every country and whose mission is to defend the land and the people in the event of any danger, as well as a brief history of the Iraqi army and its victories by the support of the popular mobilization to liberate Iraq from the ISIL terrorist gangs."

Mr. al-Badri has also stressed that "The Division of Childhood and Youth at the al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine has a vision and an educational program that can address many of the cognitive distortions that have afflicted the children, but it needs the media and government support to implement these programs that will help to prevent Iraq from a coming war by immunizing children from the ideas of extremism and atonement."

He concluded: "The humanitarian situation in which they live is very difficult, as the families live in a tent without electricity and the water sources are far away from them and the temperature is above 50 degrees Celsius, resulting great educational problems as many of them do not attend school, even with the existence of a school inside the camp. So they need specialized courses to guide them and encourage them to return to school. Nevertheless, children still have their spontaneous smiles despite all that they have suffered, as they have great hope that the future will be better for Iraq and Iraqis, and all the children have feelings of love and affection for the religious authority in Najaf because of the humanitarian aid convoys that support them from time to time."