The match should have been cause for young Iraqis to celebrate. Their national t...
KERBALA, Iraq - The match should have been cause for young Iraqis to celebrate. Their national team beat Lebanon 1-0 in the first competitive international hosted by Iraq for years in the holy city of Kerbala, complete with an opening ceremony of music and dance.
At the opening ceremony last week for the West Asia Football Federation Championship, a tournament of Arab countries hosted by Iraq, a Lebanese woman violinist not wearing the Islamic headscarf and with uncovered arms played Iraq’s national anthem. Iraq’s Ministry of Youth and Sport which organized the ceremony first defended it, then said: “the ministry will coordinate with official bodies to prevent any scenes that contrast with the holiness of the province.”
“Most of us rejected the politicians’ comments - the holy ground is where the shrines are, but outside those places there’s a different life.” “There’s nothing to stop a ceremony taking place at Kerbala stadium, or from women attending,” said Sheikh Wael al-Boudairi, a local cleric. Former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of the Dawa party and Qais al-Khazali, a rising political leader who heads a powerful paramilitary faction took to social media to criticize the ceremony.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Iraqis choose refugee camps over ruined homesDespairing of the corpses and debris littering the streets, many Iraqis have lef...
Lire la suite »
Italian Senate backs train link with France, widening coalition riftThe Italian Senate on Wednesday rejected a motion by one of the ruling coalition...
Lire la suite »
City National Bank acquires Studio City software company FilmTrackCity National Bank said Tuesday it acquired FilmTrack, a Studio City-based firm that makes software that helps entertainment companies manage their intellectual property rights. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Lire la suite »
2 El Paso dads saved soccer team kids, parents in chaotic aftermath of shootingTwenty people were fatally shot and 26 others injured in Walmart shooting, El Paso. Jimmy Villatoro and Ray Garcia, two dads, went to the store and saved lives.
Lire la suite »
Roberto Surace Tops Shazam's Ibiza Dance Chart 2 Weeks in a RowThe only new face is Solardo and Eli Brown who make their chart debut with 'XTC' at No. 9.
Lire la suite »
‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High’ at 40: How the Ramones and a Rebellious Female Lead Invaded TheatersIn the late 1970s, Roger Corman was looking to produce a high school-themed movie. Knowing that one of his young directing proteges had a bent for music, the head of New World Pictures had an idea.…
Lire la suite »