As the Iraqi protests against the Iraqi government and the Iranian backed militias broke out on October 1st, and then on the 25th, many songs and video clips were produced in support of these protests. It was no surprise that the tunes and music from Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, les miserables, were first to appear to flame the revolutionary youth. Just as the Hong Kong protesters adopted this revolutionary song to mobilize people behind their protests, Iraqi protesters did the same.
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One of the earliest songs shown was Iraqi protesters
from Al Tahrir Sq. singing in English, “do you hear the people sing”.
Another video produced
as a tribute to falling Iraqi rebels used the same song. It started by showing one
of the Safa Al Sarrai, who was killed in the protests and became an Icon for the protests.
His mother passed away from cancer earlier, so it was fitting to start with his
image with his mom as Anne Hathaway was signing to Hugh Jackman “come with me,
were chains will never bind you”.
Those were not the only videos used in support of the Iraqi protests that utilized, les miserables . another YouTube video did a montage of images from the protests and the song “do you hear the people sing” playing in the background.
Another song Bella ciao was also
adopted by the Iraqi protesters due to its anti-fascist history and its renewed popularity
as an anti-establishment status, due to the popular Spanish TV show the Money Heist,
or LA CASA DE PAPEL. First thing to emerge, was a musical video clip in Arabic with Bella Ciao music, depicting figures
dressed up in orange jumpsuits and Salvador Dali masks, like the characters from the Spanish TV show.
The videos made a reference to another early icon from the
Iraqi protests. The Kleenex woman, whose lively hood was dependent on selling Kleenex, but she started to run between protesters handing them her merchandise for free to clean away the teargas effect.
All these songs, which
we talked about have some universal and international dimension that crosses cultures,
languages and borders. People can relate to them from all over the world. It indicates
something really interesting, that the Iraqi protesters, or at least their leaders
(if there are any), are educated and in tough with the latest trends like TV
shows, Movies and pop culture.
Now we come to the
fun part. The local culture and the purely Iraqi dimension. Remember how the Les Miserable was repeatedly used in videos related to the Iraqi protest? Another particular
Iraqi song that goes back to the 1980s, was dusted off and produced by singers
in at least 3 songs supporting the protesters in Baghdad.
Now, the interesting
part is, this song from the 1980s which everyone is borrowing and signing,
with some twists to the original lyrics, is actually a "patriotic" song from the Iran-Iraq war
days. Up until couple of months ago, no one would have dared to bring back a
Saddam and Iran-Iraq war era song back to life in Iraq. He would be accused of
being a Baathist and Saddam loyalist and all sort of accusations. Yet, since the protests were against a government
perceived to be in alliance with Iran, and the crack down on the protesters is
mainly attributed to Iranian backed militias, the Iran-Iraq war song broke all
the taboos and was revived. Actually, the lyrics of the third version of the song (posted above), is addressing the notorious commander of Al Quds force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qassim Sulaimany, by name, telling him to get out of Iraq.
That was not the only song from Iran-Iraq war era revived
and used in support of the Iraqi protests. Another montage used the music of another
1980s, Iran-Iraq war song.
As if using an
Iran-Iraq war era song was not enough, the same music from the above posted montage, was the theme of
a mid 1990s TV show by the name “Shadow Men” hailing Saddam’s spy agency the
Mukhabarat.
Many songs, video clips and montage
videos were produced and posted on social media. There are some social media stars
emerged among the protesters and journalists covering the protests. Yet, the
fact that many of the songs used in those protests are either universally known
songs, or songs from the Iran-Iraq war era associated with Saddam Hussein, has
so much significance.
The Taboo that you could not portray Iran as an adversary
to Iraq is now broken, and they are calling them by name. The time barrier has
been broken as well, as many of the protesters hardly remember Saddam time, the
role of the Baath party, let alone the songs from the early 1980s. Yet, those
Iran-Iraq war songs are resonating with those protesters because to them, the
war is on.
Finally, the Iraqi
protesters broke the geographical and cultural barrier, as they relate through
their songs and videos with the protesters in Hong Kong, the French revolution
or even the characters of a Spanish TV show taking the Italian partisan as
role models.
