As a result of the deadly protests that have hit southern Iraq “we have had to stop all cultural activities and catechism” in our churches and parishes “to protect the lives of our faithful, especially children,” said Mgr Alnaufali Habib Jajou, Chaldean archbishop of Basra, southern Iraq. Still, despite the situation, “Masses and other liturgical activities continue,” the prelate said. For more than a week, southern Iraq’s main city has been the scene of violent protests against corruption and poor governance. At least eight people have died and scores have been injured.
This is part of a broader wave of social protest that has been particularly strong in the country’s southern region. Beginning in Basra, Iraq’s most important oil region, which is suffering from water shortages, the protest has spread like wildfire to much of the Shia south. Security forces have clashed with protesters after the latter tried to blockade Basra’s oil wells as well as some government buildings and the headquarters of political parties.
To curb the violence, the government has imposed a curfew on the most important towns in the southern region. Internet access and social media have also been blocked; the latter have been one of the means by which the protest has spread in Baghdad and the southern provinces. “The situation is not good at all,” Mgr Habib explained. “Tensions are bound to increase if the government does not introduce significant changes to its policies.”. The prelate noted that many have been killed and wounded, some “in Basra, where the protest began
