ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil on Wednesday closed down a cafe that played an anthem in the Kurdish language sung for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and arrested its owner, according to a statement.
“After the publication of a video clip on social media in Parmigiano cafe in Erbil city, where the Baath regime anthem was clearly playing, the Erbil governor decided that the owner be arrested and the cafe closed down,” a Facebook statement by Erbil governorate said.
The statement added that such acts are “far from all the national and ethnic values and the sanctity of the blood of the martyrs and the struggles of our people, which are only meant to offend their citizens, will not be accepted in any way and will face legal action and be punished.”
The Baath party is banned in Iraq. Article 7 in the Iraqi constitution prohibits adopting, glorifying or promoting symbols and propaganda from the regime.
Erbil mayor Nabaz Abdulhamid told Rudaw that the owner of the cafe is Kurdish and that three people have been arrested so far in relation to the incident.
Rudaw English reached out to the cafe, but they were not available for comment.
The Arab Socialist Baath Party ruled Iraq from 1968 until 2003 when the US-led invasion toppled its leader Saddam Hussein. Hussein and his regime committed crimes against humanity, including the Anfal genocide against the Kurds, reaching its peak in 1988 with the Halabja chemical attack that instantly killed 5,000 people and injured 10,000.
Hussein was executed before the trial on Anfal crimes was concluded. He had been sentenced to death in an earlier trial for the killing of 148 Shiites. He was hanged on December 30, 2006.
Additional reporting by Rawchi Hassan
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