|
 The southern Iraqi city, the home of Abdul Ameer's father, has
since Saddam was toppled in a 2003 U.S. invasion seen conflict,
unrest, religious conservatism and an acute lack of jobs and
services.
Abdul Ameer hopes his customers, mostly young Iraqis, can
temporarily forget that and lose themselves in the Arab
literature stacked on bookshelves at his cafe while they drink
coffee out of cups imprinted with Fairouz's face.
"Fairouz songs are associated with good memories. This place
will bring people back to the past, to better days," the owner
said at his new Fairouz Cafe and Bookshop in central Basra.
"We learned Fairouz's songs during school days so we associate
her name with nostalgia." Mugs picturing Fairouz, whose soothing
voice emanates from car radios in Iraqi cities and throughout
the Arab world, are also sold at the cafe.
The 29-year-old grew up in his mother's homeland of Syria but
fled for Basra in 2012 near the beginning of the Syrian civil
war.
The conflict, which began more than seven years ago with
protests against President Bashar al-Assad, has killed hundreds
of thousands and driven millions from their homes.
"Life in Syria became tough. Snipers and kidnappings became
common. I decided to leave and find a new life in Basra," said
Abdul Ameer.
CONSERVATIVE CITY
The economics graduate's dream project - to open a cafe that
emulates the Damascus cafe culture - has come to fruition, and
many locals are delighted.
[to top of second column] |
"What I love about this place is the library and the good service.
This place is quiet and free from people who try to restrict our
freedom," said Samana Sajjad, a 23-year-old woman who works as a
local radio presenter.
"After a long day, it's a place where you can forget your worries by
listening to Fairouz and reading a book."
Located where the Euphrates and Tigris rivers merge near the Gulf,
Basra was for centuries a melting pot of Arabs, Persians, Turks,
Indians and Greeks who left their cultural imprint.
After Saddam was toppled, conservative Shi'ite-led parties took
power in Basra, bringing with them a religiously restrictive
lifestyle.
Young people in Basra took part in protests in September which
turned violent, complaining of unemployment, lack of services and
corruption.
Basra's oil fields bring in the vast majority of Iraq's oil wealth
but the city suffers from power and water shortages like much of the
country.
Iraq's population is predominantly Shi'ite Muslim, and much of its
society in the south is conservative, with many women wearing the
black head-to-toe abaya and public mixed-gender socializing often
frowned upon.
(Writing by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by John Davison)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
