Artists are the cultural ambassadors who, through their works of art, can bring forth understanding, friendship, and peace among different regions of the world. Of those who follow this calling, there is Weam Namou Yatooma, a poet and novelist; Amer Hanna Fatuhi, a visual artist and historian; Sahir Al-Malih,
a radio and TV producer and publisher; Salah Kulato, a theater artist and director; Sonia Diri, an actress, Rev. Jacob Yassor, pastor of Reverend Sacred HeartChaldean Catholic Church, and more.

They are Iraqi-born but have journeyed beyond borders and traveled between continents. They seek to use their talent to bring harmony to this world. Enabling them to achieve this dream is the community they created, the Iraqi Artists Association based in Michigan, USA. Ms. Weam Namou Yatooma, co-founder
and the president of Iraqi Artists Association (IAA), shared with us their history.

Ms. Weam Namou Yatooma (f):This association started in July of 2007. And it started because of some artists, Iraqi born artists, felt that there was a lack of community, not a lack of artists, a lack of community,  a home where we can support each other’s work, more, and basically just work together. So about 3, 4 of us got together and we formed this organization.

HOST:  The first meeting of the Iraqi Artists Association was held on August 22, 2007 in the Mesopotamia Art Gallery at Michigan, among gifted Iraqi artists, scholars, philosophers, writers and musicians.

They would do all to let the public know of the beauty in the past as well as in the present of their homeland.

Ms. Weam Namou Yatooma (f): We have been doing various events at colleges and universities and libraries to show the Iraqi culture and to introduce people to a part of Iraq that we noticed most Westerners are not familiar with.

HOST: One of the Iraqi Artists Association’s major tasks is to restore the forgotten connection between ancient Mesopotamian civilization and Iraqi culture and society of the present-day.

For example, Mr. Amer Hanan Futuhi, co-founder of the Iraqi Artists Association and Director of Mesopotamia Art Gallery, writes extensively on the native Iraqi people’s contribution to the human world in his book, “The Untold Story of the Native Iraqis.” Father Jacob Yassor of Reverend Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church
compiles dictionaries to better understand humanity’s shared past in the land of Iraq.

Father Jacob Yassor (m): Remember the biblical stories? Where the ah Abraham and the creation, they mention two of the rivers of the, that paradise, Tigris and Euphrates.  It was in Iraq, today they called Iraq, and I think the word Iraq is from Akkadian word of “Uruk,” which is an ancient city in that area, Southern Iraq, or Uruk or "Urka," in Arabic they called "Urka." Iraq is  from that origin.

Ms. Weam Namou Yatooma (f): The first recorded writer in history was a woman from ancient Iraq. Her name is Enheduanna. She was a poet.  That’s means a lot.

Ms. Weam Namou Yatooma (f): That’s basically the beautiful side of Iraq. And usually art is associated with beauty.  Our hope is that we reach a much larger audience. And I think part of this, part of this desire comes from our love for our culture, for our heritage.

To find out more about the Iraqi Artists Association,
please visit www.iraqiartists.org