Arrr! Me hearties be weepin' fer the loss o' a 300-year-old minaret! Iraq be playin' a foul game, arrr!
2023-07-19
Arrr! In Basra, of all places, them officials be thinkin' 'bout rippin' down a three-century-old minaret, a sacred place fer worship! The locals be mighty cross, reckonin' the city's reasons be as feeble as a barnacle's grip. Aye, 'tis a treasure worth savin'!
Officials in Basra, Iraq have faced backlash from the local community after deciding to demolish a 300-year-old religious spire and tourist attraction. The al-Siraji Mosque, home to a distinctive minaret made of weathered bricks and blue ceramic tiles, was demolished to widen a road that was built after the mosque was already constructed. The decision to tear down the minaret prompted protests from residents and experts in the field of archaeology. They argued that the minaret was a significant historical site and that the street encroached upon it, rather than the other way around. The demolition caused anger among the local population, who questioned why a three-century-old site was destroyed for the sake of expanding a street. Despite the outcry, Basra's governor stated that permission for the demolition was obtained from Iraq's Sunni Endowment Office, which has authority over Sunni religious sites. The decision was made due to complaints of traffic congestion caused by the minaret jutting out into the street. In response to the criticism, the governor assured that a new minaret would be built to replace the old one, although some doubted the feasibility of such a reconstruction effort. The demolition of the minaret highlights ongoing concerns about the preservation of Iraq's cultural heritage, particularly in light of previous looting and destruction of ancient sites by militant groups such as ISIS.