Painter Mohammed Hetlr has been preoccupied with drawing and painting sacred Shiite figures from Iraq and around the world. He has been making good money selling his work and, in an interview with Al-Monitor, said that he considered his painting to be part of his “religious duty” to express his faith and ideological commitment.

This art, which often comes from the Naive school of painting, has become very popular with many Iraqis, who have acquired the custom of hanging the paintings on their walls, in their grocery stores or official institutions and mosques.

Even the Iraqi security forces, especially the so-called popular mobilization forces, are hanging these paintings on military vehicles during military parades, at battlefronts and during clashes with the Islamic State (IS), a Sunni militant group that has managed to occupy large parts of Iraq and Syria and invaded the city of Mosul on June 10.

Hetlr said, “Religious painting in Iraq reflects the spiritual motives of religious people, as it appeals to their religious sentiment. The portraits of sacred figures are painted with utmost care to present them in the best light, as these figures are held in high esteem among people.”