Six months following the US invasion, Esam Pasha, a 30-year-old Iraqi artist and writer, proudly created a mural titled "Resilience" over a large portrait of Saddam Hussein on a government building wall. Currently residing in the United States, Pasha is just one of many Iraqis who have left their homeland since the war, including doctors, businessmen, academics, and other skilled professionals. Pasha fondly reminisces about spending time at a gallery in Baghdad, sipping tea and chatting all day, and speaks of the vibrant life in Baghdad that he captured in his mural, which he referred to as the "ever-shining sun of Iraq." Pasha mentioned in a phone interview from Connecticut that he did not use any black paint in the mural, as he believed Baghdad had seen enough darkness. The mural, located on a wall of the Ministry of Labour, is currently inaccessible to the public due to security measures. Pasha expressed hope that one day Baghdad would be safe for public artworks that people could admire without fear, and he envisioned a future where other artists could contribute to making Baghdad beautiful and vibrant again. Without any security in place, nothing can be accomplished. Abu Mina, a ceramic artist and university professor, still visits the gallery that Pasha holds dear, but he notes that art sales have declined and he is contemplating relocating. He has not received payment from the university in a month, and most students are not attending class due to safety concerns. Abu Mina fears that only a few students will graduate this year, as the majority have not been showing up for class. The Higher Education Ministry reports that 185 university teachers have been killed, 52 kidnapped, and 41 wounded since April 2003. A recent bombing at a Baghdad university resulted in the deaths of at least 70 people, mostly students. Abu Mina's son, who is studying medicine, faces challenges such as infrequent classes and a shortage of professors. Many professors have relocated to Damascus for safety reasons. Accessing medical care, particularly from dentists or specialists, can be difficult and time-consuming, leading some to seek treatment abroad if they can afford it. Hospital emergency rooms dealing with a surge of casualties from bombings and shootings often do not have enough staff and are overwhelmed. A recent United Nations report highlighted a concerning increase in attacks on professionals such as teachers, doctors, artists, lawyers, ex-military officers, and journalists. These attacks are usually carried out by extremists with conformist ideologies or by militant/terror groups aiming to spread fear and intimidation. The report also mentioned a rise in Islamic extremism being connected to attacks on academics. Asam Rifaat, a 38-year-old criminal lawyer living in Baghdad's Mansour district, has made the decision to leave Iraq with his wife and two children because he feels he cannot continue living in Baghdad. "It has become a place where only the deceased reside, and I am not prepared for my children to be left parentless," he stated. He also expressed his inability to advocate for justice in a nation controlled by militias that operate with impunity, often collaborating with the police to carry out numerous killings each week. Rifaat emphasized the lawlessness of the situation, stating that they are essentially living in a lawless society. Before leaving his home, he always takes a moment to look at his children, Nora and Mahmoud, fearing that he may not return and could potentially be killed or abducted. In order to care for the children, his wife, a teacher of 35 years, has resigned from her job. Salim al-Taie, a 45-year-old former army officer living in Amriya in western Baghdad with his wife and three children aged five to 12, worries about his safety every time his friend Asam leaves for work. He becomes emotional when he hears urgent news about bombs on television, and doesn't stop crying until Asam comes home. Salim believes that the situation in Baghdad has deteriorated significantly over the last four years, with a lack of respect for the law being a major concern. He described life in Baghdad as similar to living in a city controlled by the mafia, where violence can strike at any moment. He shared the story of losing two friends to gunmen and how the ongoing blasts and sectarian violence have made him doubt his optimism. After deciding to stop sending his children to school and ultimately moving to Egypt, he explained that the tears of his daughters convinced him to leave Iraq for good in order to protect them from further harm. His priority is to ensure that his children never have to cry again, even if it means never returning to Iraq.