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Iraq: Students beaten to death for playing music
In Basra, Shia Islamic militias apply their own version of
Islamic law, writes reporter for The Times of London, Catherine Philp
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In the southern Iraqi city of Basra, dozens of men from a private militia poured into a local park where a group of students were having a picnic. The men were armed with guns, and shouted at the students that they were "immoral", because they were meeting boys and girls together, and playing music.
The students were shot, beaten with rifle butts, and manhandled. Two students are said to have been killed in the incident. Another girl who was severely beaten around the head lost her sight. Far from disavowing the attack, senior al-Sadr loyalists said that they had a duty to stop the students’ “dancing, sexy dress and corruption”.
Read the full story in The Times Online: Death at 'immoral' picnic in the park
Comment on Global Echo: If You Believe in Freedom, Step Aside
Background story on Aljazeera.net: Traditional Iraqi music under threat |
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| Related reading |
| Iraq: Violence against singers continues |
| In Iraq, the clerics have conflicting opinions about music prohibition, writes Wisam Tahir from Nasiriya in an article published in The Herald Scotland |
| 09 December 2009 |
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| Iran: Music gives hope |
| Austin Dacey's article about the underground music scene and the system of music censorship in Iran, based on an interview with the rock band Kiosk |
| 17 July 2009 |
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| Iran: Musicians respond to the crisis |
| Despite a general ban, rock music has become one of the most vibrant forces for critiquing the various ills of Iranian society, writes music researcher Mark Levine |
| 23 June 2009 |
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| Iran: Rock concert raided, 104 arrested |
| A concert in Shiraz was raided by an Islamist militia, and 104 people arrested, on the grounds of being 'immoral', reported Jam-e Jam newspaper on 27 May 2009 |
| 08 June 2009 |
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