'Baghdad Belt' Deals With New Sectarian Tensions
Once a paradigm of multi-sectarian coexistence, the towns in the area circling the Iraqi capital known as the "Baghdad belt" have been some of the first victims of increased security measures and sectarian incitement in a turbulent Iraq.
Arab Jibor, a neighborhood south of Baghdad that is home to a variety of different sects, is part of an area that encompasses the Iraqi capital known as "hizam Baghdad," Arabic for the "Baghdad belt." In this neighborhood, roads are unpaved and winding, surrounded by farms and gardens.
Haj Nasr al-Kaabi, a Shiite farmer who was repairing his house after it was damaged in the armed clashes that took place between al-Qaeda groups and the security forces, told Al-Monitor that home restoration is not an easy task as long as human beings have not first "restored" their souls.
The region has enjoyed stability for the past two years as a result of intensive security campaigns, which were implemented due to the occurrence of sporadic armed sectarian clashes. Those visiting the region in recent times would quickly notice a heavy military presence. Security checkpoints are located every thousand meters, starting from the highway toward the capital Baghdad, where the region ends with a major checkpoint east of the Dora region.
Safaa al-Omari, a citizen who has lived in the area since he was born, told Al-Monitor that the Arab Jibor neighborhood is the Sunni base of the Dora region, where the fiercest sectarian clashes took place between 2005 and 2007
