Karim is the Chief conductor and Director of the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra. During his distinguished career as a musician, Karim has promoted creativity to convey powerful messages about peace. Founder of the “Peace through Arts’’, Karim teaches music to youth and orphans from different backgrounds to promote reconciliation. He also initiated the first female conductors’ class in the Middle East. Recently, Karim drew the attention of international media for his courageous acts of playing cello on blast sites of terrorist attacks. This response to violence has become a campaign called Music for Peace, aiming at rebuilding connections among his fellow citizens to resist violence.