Unveiled women \'not allowed\'

In the city of Kadhimiya Baghdad – Jaafar Nassrawi In the city of Kadhimiya, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, activists raised banners expressing gratitude to the local government for reportedly banning unveiled women from entering the Shiite-majority city. The Iraqi Interior Affairs Ministry however denied issuing such an order, as wearing a veil fell within personal freedom guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution. Media professional Hussein Mohamed, a resident of Al-Kadhimiya, told Arabstoday that the city's inhabitants were "surprised to see some banners hanged at the entrance of their city and at check points run by security forces supporting the local council’s individual decision to ban unveiled women from entering the city”. Mohamed added: “Al-Kadhimiya is a commercial hub, in addition to its religious significance for all the inhabitants of Baghdad, including Christians, Sabians, and Yazidis, and others who hold non-Muslim beliefs.” “Al-Kadhimiya's residents are used to seeing non-veiled women in their markets, and the issue has not posed a problem during the past years,” he said. Raghad Al-Saadoun, 38, told Arabstoday that “city residents are exchanging news that the local government decided to prevent unveiled women from entering Al-Kadimiya generally in response to a request by one of security leaders who was saw an unveiled woman during the tour of the city, and asked to prevent 'non-Hijabis' from entering the city and its markets”. Al-Saadoun mentioned that the security official called for a “Morality Police” to to crack down on the ctiy's men or women whose “attire or haircuts do not suit the traditions of Islam”. Meanwhile, Iraq's Interior Affairs Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that “these actions fall within personal freedom” and that the ministry had nothing to do with the decision. It said it was “committed to apply the articles of the constitution, and not contradict it”. The ministry added that “allowing visitors in is a responsibility of the General Secretariats of Holy Shrines in Baghdad and the governorates” and affirmed “among its structure, there’s nothing called the ‘morality police’.” The Baghdad governor also denied issuing any such decision or legislation “obligating women to wear a veil as a condition to enter the holy city of Al-Kadhimiya”. The municipal council said in a statement that “the decision to impose the veil and Iraqi Abaya (a loose garment) is valid only inside the holy area of the religious sites whether in Kadhimiya, Najaf, Karbala or Samarra”. Al-Kadhimiya is a holy site for Shiite Muslims, containing the tombs of Imam Mussa Al-Kadhim and Mohammed Al-Jawad. The city is located north of the capital, on the western bank of the Degla river and is linked with the Sunni-majority region of Al-Adhamiya on the other bank of the river through the Imams Bridge.