Since the end of July, the Iraqui society is taking the street every Friday to denounce corruption in the country and the political bankruptcy of the dominant political parties.
The demontsrations began against the frequent power outages and lack of basic services in a summer that has reached temperatures of over 50 degrees. However, the assassination of al-Hilfi Muntazar July 16th by police in Al-Madina, north of Basra, has raised tension resulting in a series of mass protests in the cities of central and southern Iraq. The protesters have risen against corruption and deteriorating public services. The protests reachead their peak on Friday, August 28th, after the appeal of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to his followers, to join the protests against corruption.
The demonstrators, mostly youth and civil society activists, challenge the political system as a whole,they say from the ICCSI (The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative). They call for a secular state in opposition to a confessional state, against the division between Sunni and Shi’a populations, for women’s rights and workers’ rights. “During all the demonstrations there is a substantial female presence, and Iraqi women’s rights groups are actively working to make sure women can take part in the demonstrations without being harassed”, they explain.
“The Iraqi parliament voted August 11 to approve Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri’s economic, political and administrative reform measures in response to the demands of the Iraqi street”, reports ICCSI. These measures include doing away with the positions of vice president of the republic and deputy prime minister, reopening past and current cases of corruption and tasking a number of judges to investigate the cases and prosecute corrupt persons.
Perhaps this is the first time that the Government has listened to the demands of the protesters, providing practical reforms. But the measures adopted are only a small step for the people of the country, who will continue demonstrating until reforms are implemented, and that is why the ICSSI has made a call for international solidarity: invite to send messages of support to the Iraqi people, using images and selfies with messages for those who are taking the streets in Baghdad and other cities, posting them on social networks.
From NOVACT We give our full support to the Iraqi people.
