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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat

Cancellation of Pop Concert Stirs Debate over Civil or Religious State in Iraq

Morocco singer Saad Lamjarred performs at the International Carthage Festival at the Roman theater of Carthage near Tunis, on July 30, 2016. (AFP)

The decision to cancel a concert by renowned Moroccan artist Saad Lamjarred in Baghdad has sparked a heated debate in Iraq over the country's civil or religious identity.

The constitution defines Iraq as a civil state and defends its freedoms, but that has not stopped religious groups from intervening and taking action against events they deem "immoral".

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