Iraq marks somber Ramadan amid economic, political crises

BAGHDAD — In Iraq, like other Arab and Muslim nations, Ramadan is a holy month, when Muslims practice fasting during daylight and participate in spiritual and social activities.

But its status has significantly eroded after years of politicizing religion and the ongoing economic crisis. In contrast to previous years, Ramadan this year seems without color or taste in Baghdad and other major Iraqi cities.

Abdul Rahman, a restaurant owner in Baghdad's Al-Jadriya neighborhood, is unenthusiastic about Ramadan this year. “We have no special preparations or events or even new menus this year,” he said. “We have not received any event reservations for Ramadan yet.”

Restaurants in Iraq are usually very busy during Ramadan when people invite family and friends for iftar — the fast-breaking evening meal. They usually book for specific nights to ensure availability.

Economic challenges

Concern is not limited to restaurants alone. Baghdad as a whole does not seem prepared for any Ramadan event. Supermarkets and other stores, which usually are filled with families buy food and decorations, don't seem prepared either.

The economic crisis strongly intensified this year, and two recent policies significantly affected Iraqi citizens.

First, the government has yet to offer a special food basket to all families for Ramadan as successive previous governments did. Second, the exchange rate instability has affected Iraqi families. The rate was stable at 1,460-1,470 dinars per $1 for almost two years until late last year. Early this year, the rate reached nearly 2,000. The government decided in February to decrease the exchange rate to 1,300 dinars per US dollar, but this price is only followed by government institutions. The free market rate is between 1,560-1,600.

Prices for almost all goods and products have gone up, as the majority of products sold in Iraq are imported from overseas and purchased with US dollars. The instability of the exchange rate affected Iraqi industry as well, as factory owners have to buy raw materials from overseas at the free market rate. When they sell their products to Iraqis, they face restrictions and pressure from the government to keep prices low.

Politicizing Ramadan

Political parties like to promote their agendas on TV during Ramadan. People usually gather at relatives' and friends' houses to watch TV together, providing perfect opportunities for channels affiliated with different political parties to run special programs. This has pushed families further into Iraq's political problems during Ramadan.

The sectarian status also becomes more intense, as religious media platforms broadcast special religious programs that usually include sectarian teachings, raising the concerns of other Islamic sects or even sometimes other religions.

Just a few days before Ramadan began, controversial cleric Jawad Al-Ebrahimi insulted the second Sunni caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab. Ebrahimi appears regularly on Al-Shaaer channel, which belongs to an extreme Shiite movement. It's the same channel that announced recently it plans to produce a TV series about the killer of Umar, Abu Lu'lu'a Firuz, a Persian slave who was assassinated in 644 AD. This was in reaction to the MBC media group’s announcement that it would broadcast a TV series about a controversial figure in Islamic history, Mu'awiya bin Abi Sufyan, who is hated by Shiites.

So far, neither series has aired, but it is still expected that the two channels — among other Iraqi and Arab channels — will display sectarian content during Ramadan.

This year, Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq agreed to begin Ramadan on the same day (March 23), instead of the usual difference of a day or two — which has raised political sarcasm, since many interpreted it to be a result of the Iran-Saudi Arabia deal signed recently in Beijing. An Iraqi comedian told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that this year we should put Chinese food on the iftar table to celebrate the Sunni-Shiite agreement.

Moreover, Iraqi government policies after 2003 made many Ramadan practices mandatory, contrary to the past when it was more a cultural event with voluntary participation. The majority of restaurants and cafes in Iraq — except in the Kurdistan Region, which enjoys more religious freedom — are closed during the daytime in order to comply with religious restrictions. In government institutions as well, it becomes forbidden to drink or eat or smoke.