Security forces from the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office raided cultural and social clubs in Baghdad

Ankawa.com-Almada
Iraqi security sources said that forces loyal to Prime Minister’s Office Nuri Al-Maliki, raided on last Tuesday evening a number of social and cultural clubs in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, including Almashriq Club which is owned by a number of Christians, and assaulted the patrons, beatings and insults, and stole millions of dinars.
Almashriq club was founded in 1944 and owned by group of Christian people and its customers related to different segments and multiple affiliations.
One of the Officials of the club said, we were surprised at 11 pm of last Tuesday when a group of about 10 from the security forces dressed in olive spotted military uniforms entered the club and saying: we are under the command of Maj. General Farouk Alaraji sent from Al-Maliki Office.
The official person added, they did not give us the chance to speak and started breaking the furniture. He also said these forces came in 4 Salvador cars with registration plate holding the name of the Defense Ministry, in addition to other cars belonging to the Federal Police. The police cars registration numbers are, 1726 and 1733, while the registration numbers of the Ministry of Defense cars are 46850 and 46541.
The official continued and said they broke doors, glass, beat the people sitting there and the workers of the cultural club and stole clothes, mobiles and bottles of alcohol.
The assault carried out by Al-Maliki security forces met great deal of booed and condemnation from many personalities and progressive and democratic parties in Iraq and abroad. The Iraqi MP Maysoon Aldamlugi condemned this act as it is contrary to the constitution and flagrant violation of human rights.
Aldamlugi said, the government should protect the citizens and not abuse their guaranteed freedom offered to them by the Constitution. On the other hand, many MP from the coalition of the State of Law led by the Prime Minister Nuri Almaliki refused to comment on the issue of closing the cultural clubs.
The president of the Union of Writers, Fadhil Thamer called on the moderate political authorities, the Illuminati and intellectuals in the country to stand up against the dark onslaught led by certain people and parties to turn the country to extremist religious state like Afghanistan.
On the same issue, the committee of the Awqaf Religious Affairs announced last Wednesday a proposal law against alcohol beverages and said it will host a ministerial committee to draft the proposal.