A new skate park in Baghdad is the safe space Iraqi youth have longed for

The capital inaugurated its first skate park this weekend at a ceremony attended by foreign diplomats, sports officials and young athletes, in what many hope will be the beginning of a drive to build more spaces for recreation and creative expression.

“I have been waiting for this moment for five years,” said Mohammed Al-Qadi, 19, one of the park’s first visitors on Saturday.