In the Marshlands, ‘Another Face of Iraq’
After 18 months covering the battle against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, Emilienne Malfatto felt compelled to show a less-violent side of the war-torn nation. And she found one in Chibayish, a small district in the Mesopotamian marshes. “When you say ‘Iraq,’ people just think war: the two wars in Baghdad or bombings,” Ms. Malfatto […]John Otis writes for The New York Times:
After 18 months covering the battle against Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, Emilienne Malfatto felt compelled to show a less-violent side of the war-torn nation. And she found one in Chibayish, a small district in the Mesopotamian marshes.
“When you say ‘Iraq,’ people just think war: the two wars in Baghdad or bombings,” Ms. Malfatto said. “But you also have this beautiful place with beautiful people. It’s like another face of Iraq.”
The marshlands, comprising a nearly 8,000-square-mile area, are at the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Their denizens, the Ma’dan — also known as the Marsh Arabs — live free from threats posed elsewhere by ISIS and militias.
