“Baghdad is a civilian” .. Fears that Iraq will enter the tunnel of religious extremism

[size=52]“Baghdad is a civilian” .. Fears that Iraq will enter the tunnel of religious extremism[/size]

[size=45]On Tuesday, the US “Al-Monitor” website highlighted the growing concern among Iraqis due to the attempts of religious parties to impose restrictions and ban concerts in the capital, Baghdad, a discourse that may be the beginning of imposing “religious guardianship” on the diverse Iraqi society.[/size]
[size=45]And the American website stated in a report translated by Shafaq News Agency, that the beginning of the matter was with Baqir University of Religious Sciences issuing a statement on December 29, in which it condemned concerts in Baghdad, and stressed the importance of working with laws that "enhance virtue and prevent vice," after Days of organizing concerts criticized by clerics and Islamic parties.[/size]
[size=45]The site pointed out that the Iraqis "mocked the clerics and Islamic parties", accusing them of "owning and providing protection for nightclubs where drugs and human trafficking are spread" and trying to prevent family parties "and ignoring the existence of gambling clubs and drugs."[/size]
[size=45]Salafi extremism[/size]
[size=45]The report quoted a tweet on “Twitter” by the presenter of the Al-Iraqiya satellite channel, Saadoun Mohsen Damad, in which he says that “while Saudi Arabia is gradually emerging from the crisis of Salafi extremism, Iraq is entering it with steady and successive steps... Congratulations to political Islam in Iraq what it has achieved from achievements".[/size]
[size=45]The report mentioned that the Shiite cleric, Jawad Al-Khalisi, attacked during the Friday sermon on December 24, 2021, the concerts in Baghdad, calling for uniting efforts to close these places, saying that Islamic law requires resorting to rejection, condemnation and the closure of all places “in which they are practiced.” Indecency, vice and corruption.”[/size]
[size=45]The report also pointed out that the campaign against concerts was launched when the Egyptian artist, Muhammad Ramadan, performed a concert in Baghdad on December 10, during which he unbuttoned his shirt in front of Iraqi families, an act that was considered a “contrary to Iraqi norms and traditions” by many. Of the political players and the clergy.[/size]
[size=45]The Shiite cleric Jaafar al-Ibrahimi, who is described as a "moderate preacher", criticized Muhammad Ramadan, saying that he was like "scandalous monkeys", a description that many Iraqis considered inconsistent with their style and personal freedoms.[/size]
[size=45]Also, former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki made similar statements, describing Muhammad Ramadan as "obscene, immoral and depraved," stressing that he is against his artistic style that he presented, and not against art in general.[/size]
[size=45]dominance of extremism[/size]
[size=45]However, the Iraqis, especially the people of Baghdad, expressed, according to the US website, their fear of the domination of extremism over their lives, and launched a counter-attack on clerics, political leaders and armed groups, by defending concerts as part of their personal freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.[/size]
[size=45]The hashtag ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) spread on Twitter in an attempt by activists and actors on social media to emphasize the diversity of Baghdad’s civil identity, and in an expression of challenge to groups seeking to “control public life.”[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that dozens of people demonstrated on December 16, in front of the "Sinbad Land" theme park in Baghdad, to demand its closure, even though it is not used as a venue for concerts except on rare occasions.[/size]
[size=45]The report quoted a security element responsible for securing the area's perimeter, saying that "the demonstrators belong to the extremist Islamic Virtue Party, and they tried to set fire to parts of the city under the pretext of holding parties in it."[/size]
[size=45]The report also quoted an investor who organizes parties in Baghdad, who refused to reveal his identity for fear of reprisals, saying that “the attack we witnessed was unjustified. Concerts do not offend anyone, but it seems that there are attempts to impose religious extremism on Iraqis.”[/size]
[size=45]The report pointed to a video clip circulated showing a cleric leading the demonstration and describing the concerts as an "attack on the honor of Iraqis" and that "Imam Hussein was keen to spread virtue and prevent vice."[/size]
[size=45]He added that because of the events, the management of "Sinbad Land" decided to cancel the concerts and contracts with the companies that organize them, and other concerts were canceled in Baghdad and Dhi Qar province, for fear of similar attacks.[/size]
[size=45]Coercion and political religion[/size]
[size=45]The report quoted Shiite cleric Sheikh Mudar Al-Hilu as saying, “There are two things that are very harmful to religion. The first is to force people to believe in him, and the second is to exploit him (religion) politically.”[/size]
[size=45]The sharp rhetoric against holding parties was not limited to Shiite clerics alone. The imam of Al-Harith bin Yazid Mosque in Anbar province, Abdul Aziz Fawaz Al-Hiti, criticized the Egyptian singer Muhammad Ramadan, but in a tone less harsh than his Shiite counterparts.[/size]
[size=45]But the activist and defender of freedoms in Iraq, Hamid Juhish, said that “Islamic parties, represented by armed parties and groups, have tried more than once to impose their religious and ideological convictions on society in an attempt to form councils and bodies to interfere in social freedoms.”[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi activist explained that "the growth of the secular tide and the increase in activities supporting freedoms, culture and art, which indirectly undermined the work of Islamic groups, prompted them to take to the streets and in front of facilities to prevent concerts. It seems that this is a prelude to the formation of committees to promote virtue and prevent vice.”[/size]
[size=45]The report concluded by saying that Iraq in the future “may witness the emergence of religious bodies or institutions trying to impose their religious guardianship, especially in light of the decline of parties and armed groups in the political scene, which means that these parties seek to prove themselves by any other means, and may resort to the option of forming Committees whose purpose is to promote virtue and reduce vice.[/size]
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