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Baghdad's nightclubs closed in moral crusade
Authorities have closed all Baghdad nightclubs and dozens of shops selling alcohol, concerned for "public morals," the city's governor said yesterday. Police have closed 95 unlicensed clubs and 42 liquor stores since the start of November. reuters
A special police force closed 95 unlicensed clubs and 42 liquor stores since the start of November after neighbours complained of underage drinking, public drunkenness and lewd advertising, Governor Salah Abdul-Razzaq said in an interview.
No nightclubs in the Iraqi capital have a licence, he said.
The closures threaten to cut short a brief revival in Baghdad's once-vibrant nightlife as residents began to enjoy some of the activities they were forced to abandon amid the sectarian violence unleashed by the 2003 US-led invasion.
It was unclear who had ordered the raids. Abdul-Razzaq said the move had cabinet approval, but government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh denied Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was involved.