Religious Opposition Forces Cancellation of Concert in Basra After Successful Nasiriyah Performance

Iraqi singer Mohammed Abdel Jabbar successfully performed in Nasiriyah on November 15, 2025, despite opposition from religious figures who condemned the concert as incompatible with the city's religious identity. However, just over a week later, concerts scheduled in Basra were cancelled after the organizing company received threats. The cancellation followed protests by clerics denouncing entertainment events, continuing a pattern of pressure against cultural activities in southern Iraq since 2019.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship MENA, Censorship SWANA, Middle East, Traditional Values
TagsIraq, Basra, Nasiriyah, Mohammed Abdel Jabbar, Southern Iraq, Wisteria Music

When Clerical Pressure Becomes Institutional Policy

Iraq’s 2025 Husseini Chant Festival shows how religious authority can curb cultural policy without legal bans. After the Ministry of Culture introduced instrumental music into Arbaeen rituals, a clerical backlash led by Ali Al‑Talqani sparked online outrage and institutional hesitation, revealing how informal pressure and fear of controversy drive self‑censorship in Iraq’s cultural sector.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship SWANA, Censorship MENA, Middle East, Traditional Values
TagsHusseini Chant Festival, Iraq, Arbaeen, Ali Al-Talqani
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Iraq: Moral Censorship Under the Guise of Tradition

Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education has banned mixed-gender events at universities, including student marathons, citing “moral and cultural values.” The directive, issued under political and religious pressure, institutionalizes gender segregation and deepens a broader crackdown on student freedoms, women’s visibility, and youth-led cultural expression within academic spaces .

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesMiddle East, Traditional Values
TagsIraq, Iraq's Ministry of Higher Education, gender, banning mixed-gender events in universities, Basra marathon

A contested breakthrough for girls’ sports

Karbala’s first girls’ school athletics championship in December 2025, organized with an all‑female refereeing team, quickly turned into a test of the city’s “sanctity” politics. A local religious initiative condemned the event as indecent, while rights advocates and social‑media users defended it as a legitimate step for girls’ education, health and visibility in Iraqi public life.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesMiddle East, Traditional Values
TagsSanctity of Karbala, track and field championship for girls, Iraq, Karbala, gender, Al‑Aalem, women’s rights

Basra’s Fashion Show and the Fragile State of Artistic Freedom in Iraq

When a Basra fashion show celebrating cultural heritage sparked armed threats, it revealed how non-state actors now dictate Iraq’s moral and creative boundaries. The case exposes the deepening crisis of artistic freedom in a society struggling to reclaim its cultural voice.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship SWANA, Censorship in Arts, Middle East
TagsGrand Millennium Hotel in Basra, Soha Al-Tamimi, Basra’s Fashion Show, Iraq

Iraq Sentences Singer Over “Immoral” Content

On 6 February 2025, Iraq’s Karkh Misdemeanor Court issued a one-year prison sentence in absentia against Iraqi singer and performer Taysir Al-Iraqiya for publishing content deemed “immoral” online. The ruling, based on vague morality provisions in Iraq’s Penal Code, reflects a broader state campaign targeting artists, influencers, and creators. The case highlights growing risks to artistic freedom, digital expression, and cultural diversity amid intensified online content policing.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship SWANA, Middle East
TagsIraq, Karkh Misdemeanor Court, Ministry of Interior’s Content Monitoring Committee

Iraqi Artist Jailed For Online Expression​

Iraqi digital artist and performer Joanna Al Aseel was arrested in Baghdad on 12 May 2025 after her online content was flagged as “immoral” by a Ministry of Interior committee. Her conviction and three‑month prison sentence on 20 November 2025 exemplify Iraq’s expanding use of vague public‑morals laws to police artistic expression online and deter women artists and content creators from participating in digital public space

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship SWANA, Censorship MENA, Middle East
TagsIraq, Joanna Al Aseel

Moral Policing Shuts Down Mosul Café

In August 2025, security forces shut down Um Al-Rabe’ain Café in Mosul after a video of two women dancing inside the venue went viral online. The women, both employees, were detained along with other staff for alleged violations of “public morals.” The case exposes how digital outrage now drives state action, shrinking space for culture, leisure, and women’s visibility in Iraq’s recovering cities.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship SWANA, Censorship MENA, Middle East
TagsUm Al-Rabe’ain Café, Mosul, Iraq, social media video

Informal Security Ban Silences Iraqi Novel

Iraqi novelist Rusly Al Maliki says security agents have informally banned his new book A Year of Decline, a searing account of Iraq’s corruption and social deterioration in 2024. The book was reportedly blocked from bookstores, the Baghdad Book Fair and delivery services without any court order. Al Maliki denounced the move as illegal and vowed to put the book online for free unless authorities back down by 26 September.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship SWANA, Censorship MENA, Middle East
TagsRusly Al Maliki, A Year of Decline, Iraq, Baghdad Book Fair

Karbala’s Sanctity Law Closes Café

In March 2025, security forces in Karbala closed the “Umm Kulthum” cultural café under the 2021 Sanctity of Karbala Law, solely because its name honored the iconic singer Umm Kulthum. The case shows how religiously framed regulations in Iraq are reshaping public space, restricting cultural venues, and pressuring owners to adopt overtly religious branding to avoid future trouble

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship SWANA, Middle East
TagsUmm Kulthum, Karbala Law, Karbala, Umm Kulthum café, Ashura Café, Iraq

Erbil’s Labubu Ban Blends Culture, Commerce

In July 2025, authorities in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, banned the sale and circulation of Labubu collectible dolls, citing deceptive blind-box marketing, consumer exploitation and potential psychological impacts on children. The move, framed as both consumer protection and cultural defence, has triggered debate over children’s welfare, market regulation and state control over cultural products.​

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship SWANA, Middle East
TagsLabubu, Erbil, Erbil’s Directorate of Commercial Monitoring, Kurdistan, Iraq

Singer Al-Turki Describes Russian Recruitment Scam

Iraqi singer Hussein Al-Turki says he was tricked into joining the Russian army after traveling to Moscow for what he believed was a performance contract. Regional outlets report he was moved far from the city, had his phone confiscated, and was pressured to sign documents he couldn’t read. While his account remains unverified, it reflects a broader pattern of foreign nationals being misled into military service.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesArtist at Risk, Artists in Protest, Middle East, East-Europe
TagsIraq, Hussein Al-Turki, Russian armed forces, cultural exchange, Russia
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Artist Silenced: Al-Bahrani vs Iraq’s Syndicate

Sarah Al-Bahrani, a rising Iraqi actress, was indefinitely suspended by the state-linked Artists Syndicate after exposing sexual extortion in the entertainment industry. Accused of “unethical conduct,” she alleges retaliation for speaking out. Her case reflects Iraq’s broader suppression of artistic freedom and gendered censorship. Despite harassment and threats, Al-Bahrani has become a symbol of resistance in the face of systemic repression.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship SWANA, Censorship in Arts, Middle East
TagsIraq, Sarah Al-Bahrani, Iraqi Artists Syndicate

Kuwaiti Blogger’s Extradition Raises Human Rights Concerns

The arrest and extradition of Kuwaiti blogger Salman Al-Khalidi in January 2025 has ignited international debate over political persecution, human rights violations, and breaches of international law. Al-Khalidi, a vocal critic of authoritarian regimes, was extradited from Iraq to Kuwait despite his status as a political refugee. This controversial action raises serious concerns about the protection of free expression and the treatment of dissidents in the Gulf region, particularly with regards to violations of international legal protections for refugees.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesHuman Rights, Freedom of Expression, Middle East
TagsKuwait, Salman Al-Khalidi, Kuwaiti Refugee Association, Iraq, Middle East

Iraq Bans Muawiya Series Amid Controversy

IRAQ: The banning of the Saudi-produced series Muawiya in Iraq has sparked major controversy, highlighting deep sectarian and political tensions. Centered on Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the show has been accused of glorifying divisive historical narratives. Critics warn it may inflame Sunni-Shia sensitivities, especially during Ramadan, a time of unity. With bans also in Iran, the incident reveals how historical portrayals shape modern geopolitics in the Middle East.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship SWANA, Censorship in Arts, Middle East
TagsMuawiya, Iraq

Censorship and Harassment of Artists in Iraq

In January 2023, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior launched the Ballegh platform, an online reporting system that allows citizens to flag social media content deemed “indecent” or harmful to public morals. Promoted as a tool to uphold societal values, Ballegh quickly became a mechanism for state repression.

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AuthorLitangen
CategoriesCensorship in Arts, Censorship SWANA, Middle East
TagsIraq, Al-Kasir