A recent open-air fashion show in Basra raised the ire of some clerics and Islamist groups. Afterward, residents felt the wrath of one cleric in particular who blamed them for not stopping the show and called their lack of action shameful. He also criticized the state for protecting “this debauchery.”
The administrative committee of the Artists’ Union in Basra had already called June 10 for a halt to all singing and musical activities in the entire province, due to death threats by extremist groups.