An official from the historic city of Babylon spoke out on Feb. 20 about radical parties threatening to fire on the city with missiles if concerts and other cultural activities continue to be held there.

Director of Antiquities in Babylon Hussein Fleih told the press on Feb. 22 that he had received a message threatening his life if cultural and artistic events continue in the city. Meanwhile, Babylon’s governor told Al-Hurra Iraq TV channel, “Cultural events will persist in the city, but some will be banned if they contradict the prevalent norms in the governorate” — meaning social traditions and religious beliefs.

Fleih told Al-Monitor in July 2016 that Iraq is seeking to add Babylon to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2017.

Artist Shabib al-Medhati told Al-Monitor that this threat “reflects an attempt to implement a conservative agenda seeking to Islamize daily life and turn cultural and social events into purely religious ones.” He went on, “Some artists realize the danger of radical inclinations and keep to topics that do not irritate the prevalent conservative political and cultural environment to avoid clashes with political and religious parties.”