When Syria’s pioneering stand‑up collective Styria cancelled its shows in Hama during the country’s first Comedy Festival, co‑founder Malke Mardinali warned that “every word is being scrutinized and reports are being filed.” The incident captures how surveillance, informal pressure, and fear of denunciation still define the limits of artistic expression in Syria’s fragile post‑war cultural opening
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.
Syrian author Khalil Sweileh’s acclaimed novel The Barbarians’ Paradise faces renewed censorship more than a decade after its first Cairo publication. Authorities demanded removal of passages depicting the Syrian conflict and changes to the text, which Sweileh refused. This episode underscores the persistent control over artistic expression in Syria and highlights the limited space for writers to challenge official narratives.
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.
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.
In July 2025, Syrian folk singer Omar Khairy was abducted from a wedding in his hometown of Al‑Bab by armed men who said they were acting for “general security.” Hours later, videos showed him beaten, shaved, and forced to sing under duress over his alleged praise of Bashar al‑Assad. The case reveals how rival authorities in northern Syria enforce red lines on cultural expression through intimidation and public degradation
The July 2025 eviction of Damascus’s historic Al‑Kindi Cinema by Syria’s Ministry of Religious Endowments has become a defining test of post‑Assad cultural policy, pitting promises of renewal against fears that religious and political authorities are tightening their grip on what counts as legitimate art and public memory.
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
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.
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.
In August 2025, the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University ordered a ban on nude models in all graduation projects, threatening students with a grade of zero if they refused to comply. The decision triggered protests, a strong student statement, and wide online debate, reigniting long‑standing tensions over morality, religion, and artistic freedom in Syria.
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
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.
The quiet cancellation of Jumana Manna’s solo exhibition at Heidelberger Kunstverein in 2023 has ignited debates on artistic freedom, Palestine, and the use of antisemitism frameworks in cultural institutions. Critics argue that IHRA definitions risk conflating political critique of Israel with antisemitism, limiting Palestinian voices. Manna’s case highlights self‑policing, institutional caution, and calls for alternative standards like the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
Palestinian documentary filmmaker Abdallah Motan has been held in Israeli administrative detention since January 2025 without charges or trial. Known for his internationally recognized work, including Deferred Reclaim, Motan’s detention highlights the suppression of Palestinian cultural voices. Despite international calls for his release and solidarity screenings of his films, his status remains unconfirmed, raising urgent questions about freedom of expression and the rights of artists under occupation
In August 2025, performances of the Malas brothers’ play All Naked, and You’re Doing Fine were abruptly halted in Tartus following their public criticism of ongoing abuses. While local reports described cancelled shows and suspended workshops, the Ministry of Culture denied issuing any ban, calling it a “misunderstanding.” Performances later resumed.
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As war escalated in Gaza after October 2023, Meta’s platforms became crucial spaces for documentation and solidarity. Yet investigations and leaks suggest a vast system of digital censorship targeting Palestinian and pro-Palestinian content, allegedly in close coordination with Israeli authorities. While platforms deny political bias, artists and activists across the Arab world are now developing creative strategies to evade algorithmic suppression and preserve their narratives.
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.
When a Shiite cleric on Al‑Forat TV declared the popular game of dominoes religiously forbidden according to Grand Ayatollah Ali al‑Sistani, a seemingly simple question turned into a public controversy. The televised fatwa spilled onto Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, where Iraqis fiercely debated the limits of religious authority over everyday leisure and the soft pressures shaping cultural freedom.
Across the Arab world, governments are rapidly tightening rules on social media, influencers, and online expression. From Saudi Arabia’s 2025 media code to Egypt’s cybercrime prosecutions and Bahrain’s high-profile influencer arrests, these measures claim to protect morals and national identity—but also sharply limit free expression. The region is entering a decisive phase of digital governance, reshaping youth culture, journalism, and creative industries.
