Iraq protests end a "great rupture" between war generations and youth

Ali was almost unbelievable when his friend suddenly announced in front of demonstrators in Baghdad his engagement to a girl he got acquainted with during the protests that if she has not yet been able to bring about major political change, she succeeded in breaking several social taboos.

According to Ali Khreibet, 28, who attended the spontaneous engagement ceremony, the demonstrators scored "one goal" in the range of power with the resignation of Adel Abdul Mahdi's government, and although a figure from the same regime was assigned to form a new government, it is socially "we have achieved a lot" .

The participation of women alongside men in the demonstrations, and the chanting of protesters against politicians, including religious sheikhs, shocked Iraqis who could not have imagined this before last October's protests.

During the past months, the sit-in areas were filled with women who demonstrated, and infected muffins, wrote on the walls, painted and tattooing on the shoulders and arms of young men, and participated in discussion sessions and musical workshops.

The terms "abolishing the class" and "removing differences" were repeated in the tongues of protesters and on social media, and pictures of young men and women from different social groups marched side by side and shed tears together after losing colleagues in confrontations in which hundreds were killed.

A Twitter user summarizes the reality of the demonstrations in Baghdad by saying "Tahrir Square makes us dream," commenting that his friend, tuk-tuk driver, falls in love with a paramedic belonging to a prominent family.

Zombie violence
The demonstrations erupted to protest corruption and unemployment in an oil-rich country and about 20% of its population suffer from poverty after decades of wars and unrest.

According to Ahmed Al-Haddad, 32, the cycle of violence in the country has brought "the young generation into a coma for many years, but stability has opened their eyes to the fact that there is more than one way to survive death, such as living with dignity in a civil society, breaking social rigidity, and stopping the control of parties Religious.

The recent demonstrations opened the door to what looks like a social coup, especially in southern cities.

In Al-Diwaniyah (200 km south of Baghdad), the educational counselor, Hayam Shaya, did not imagine throughout her fifty years that she would one day be able to mix and express her opinion in a city where women are rarely seen outside the home.

"Many social issues have changed dramatically," said Shaya, standing near demonstrators in her black southern gown.

For her, the demonstrators killed in a crackdown that killed 550 people sacrificed "for the sake of a civilized and civil homeland."

These changes did not come without resistance from politicians and even citizens who attacked the issue of mixing, and accused the demonstrators of drug use and other things.

Quota system
The demonstrations also encouraged figures to call for an end to the quota system, including former soccer player Adnan Darjal, who demanded that "sectarianism and regionalism" not be adopted in the most popular game.

According to Khaled Hamza, director of a research center in Baghdad, the protests also led to an end to a "big break" between an old generation living through wars and sieges, and a young generation rushing to change and progress in a country where the percentage of young people under the age of 25 is about 60% of 40 one million population.

"We are in the process of a spontaneous movement of a segment of young people who were not previously expected to assume this responsibility to accomplish tasks that our generations were unable to accomplish," the sixteen said.

As for Heba, who participated in the demonstrations in Basra in the far south, she considers the protests a social turning point.

The young woman, covering her face half with a scarf for fear of recognition and pursuit, says that the protest movement "strengthened our character and made us distinguish between right and wrong and demand our rights."

As the momentum of the demonstrations waned in recent weeks, protesters stood at a crossroads.

Muhammad al-Ajil believes that the time is now to work on achieving "unity under the umbrella of a new vision and a plan that responds to the needs of the Iraqis," and if required for years.

"What is happening is very big, but at the same time it is new to us. We cannot expect everything to happen overnight."