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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I work carefully and imperceptibly below the surface when it comes to freedom of artistic expression. Deep down I stand by those who want to break it but remind them of realities above the surface. At the same time, the water becomes shallower. This is my duty as a producer.
(Faisal Kiwewa, Bayimba, Uganda.)
