MAYSOON SALAMA – “Memories” Campaign, UNOCT/UNCCT Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme

Описание: Maysoon Salama lost her son Atta Elayyan in a violent extremist attack that hit two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Atta and his father were in the Al Noor Mosque when a gunman opened fire, killing 51 people and wounding 40.

She is a doctor and the author of a story book written for children dealing with loss and trauma. Inspired by the butterfly life cycle, the book is a tribute to her son and an important mark of Maysoon’s efforts to promote tolerance.

Part of our shared human experience is an innate need to attach personal meaning to physical objects: it is something we do from the moment of our birth. Physical objects hold memories, emotions, aspirations: they form links to people no longer with us, and they keep us connected to versions of ourselves that were lost or forever changed—sometimes through growth or the passage of time, sometimes by a traumatic event, such as a terrorist attack.

The Memories Exhibition shares the intimate memories of victims of terrorism such as Maysoon, and the personal meaning tied to physical objects they hold dear. Through film and photography, it highlights these stories belonging to the twenty-two portrayed victims of terrorism. The Exhibition was launched in May 2022 at the High-Level Conference on Human Rights, Civil Society and Counter-Terrorism held in Malaga, Spain, and continued to be showcased at the Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism held from 8-9 September, 2022, at the UN Headquarters in New York.