Once again, music has entered the arena of political conflict between the ruling religious authorities in Iraq and the country’s modern youth.
The Babylon International Festival, first launched in 1987, was now in the final stages of preparations. The five-day event was supposed to be held annually but stopped after 2003 due to the US war and worsening security conditions that followed. Suddenly, just days before the opening of this year’s edition, scheduled for October 28, the governor of Babylon, Hassan Mandil, ordered the musical events to be canceled, just as artists from Iraq and the Arab world arrived. in town to attend the concert.
Political parties with their militias threatened to organize a garrison to prevent musicians and singers from reaching the stages of the “holy city”, even though there is no religious sanctuary in the city or its surroundings.
A courageous decision
Modern Iraqi youth, eagerly awaiting the event and its concerts, in response organized a protest campaign against the governor’s decision.
Tension has grown between music lovers and those who wanted to prevent concerts. In his final days in office, Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi made the bold decision to continue the festival with his musical activities, sending special forces to protect the artists and their guests. All the stages of the festival were invaded by young people with the flags of Iraq shouting: “The flames of the protest of October 2019 will not go out!”.
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)
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