Iraqi Election Yields Historically Low Turnout

On October 10, Iraq held their sixth parliamentary election since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, reports The New York Times. The parliamentary election decides the 329 members of the Council of Representatives who elect Iraq’s president and confirm the prime minister.

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Hospital Fire Kills 82 People in Baghdad

A massive fire at a hospital in Baghdad injured 110 people and killed more than 80 as officials  are still searching for missing people. An exploding oxygen cylinder started the fire at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital, an institution dedicated to serving COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, reports The Associated Press.

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FOCUS on Separatist Movements: Kurdistan 

Among global separatist movements, the Kurds stand as the largest nation without an independent state and make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, according to BBC News. There is an estimated population of 30 million Kurds scattered across the mountainous regions within the borders of Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The Kurds often say that they have “no friends but the mountains.” The Economist also reports that “internal division has been one of their worst enemies.”

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Pope Francis Makes Historic Visit to Iraq

In early March, Pope Francis embarked on a four-day trip to Iraq, where he met with political and religious rulers to encourage better Christian-Muslim relations. According to the official Vatican itinerary, titled Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq, the Pope arrived in Baghdad on March 5, where he was met by the Prime Minister and later that day visited the Iraqi President. He concluded his trip in Erbil, where he led mass in front of a large crowd. He preached words of encouragement to Christians living in Iraq, pointing to a better future in which they can restore the communities that were ravaged by ISIS militants years ago when they seized control of the region. 

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Why Are Iraqis Protesting?: Iran’s Influence in Iraq

After the U.S. assassination of Iran’s Qasam Suleimani, the world held its breath waiting for the Islamic Republic’s ‘vengeance’ for the death of one of its powerful figures. The internet reacted with speculations of World War III, reminiscent to the start of the First World War. Nevertheless, as the world waited, Iraqis were out celebrating the death of a troublemaker, mourning the death of a martyr, or fearful their country will become a battleground for another war.

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