Arbeitsprobe »Being visible and active is dangerous«

Interview im Auftrag des ifa, erschienen in Gender & Diversity, 2021

Iraq has been a war­torn country for many years, giving rise to ISIS with its conservative and homophobic beliefs. Ali Al-Hindawi’s story is that of a survivor but also of an activist promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and sexual minorities.

Since 2012, you have been volunteering at TEDx Baghdad. Imagine you were one of the speakers, what would your story be about?

It would be a survivor story, a story of resistance. We Iraqis by nature are a country of resilient people because of our history, starting from the failed kingdom, the Ba’athist Iraq, the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the following economic embargo, the US invasion in 2003, the rise of ISIS and so on. For sure this reflects my life, my parents’ lives and the lives of so many others. But life is a continuous process, and we will keep trying to live a good life. I remember that even in 2003, when there was no electricity and food and we were living on the street because our house had been partially destroyed and looted, we still played cards and had tea. »Don’t lose hope« would be my message.

Hier können Sie das ganze Interview lesen (PDF).