A battle erupted between the Ministry of Culture and the Artists Syndicate in Iraq on social media due to the ministry's cancellation of a celebration of the artist Ghanem Hamid on charges of glorifying the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Hassan Nazim announced the cancellation of the celebration ceremony for the artist Ghanem Hamid in an official statement, noting that Hamid committed an act glorifying the confrontational Baath in front of a group of young artists in the theater forum during the preparation and logistical preparation for this ceremony, which was scheduled to be held soon in one of the theaters. Director, adding that when some young artists objected to Hamid, the latter insisted on his position.
The Iraqi Artists Syndicate, for its part, responded to the minister's decision in a strongly worded statement in which it said, "We will not allow anyone to exercise martial law against us just as we did not allow all the tyrants whom we were honored to confront from inside our country."
In a statement addressed to the Minister of Culture, the Syndicate stated, "Sorry, we will celebrate for him our special celebration of his creative achievement, which no two disagree with. As we celebrate the creative achievement and its owner, we celebrate our freedom and dignity. The ministry is years old and the creative artist is thousands of years old."
She added that those who see the cancellation of the ceremony "wanted to transform a ministry concerned with the patronage of the artist and the national creative artist into an administrative mummy carrying a thick stick waving to those who express an opinion different from the approach of the devastation and destruction that has ravaged the homeland of Iraq since 2003."
Iraqi artists and journalists showed solidarity with the artist, Ghanem Hamid, through their accounts on social media, and artist Muhammad Hashem published a picture of him with Hamid, commenting on it, "Today, in a time of freedom and democracy, with an inaccurate brush, and without investigation or witnesses, the minister took a foolish action .. he had to summon the artist. Ghanem Hamid, instead of the witness, there are 4 reliable figures who are not technicians. "
Hashem asked, "And most of all, how did the matter reach the minister? Within two hours, he made a decision to prevent the celebration!"
Iraqi poet Muhammad al-Mahawili wrote on his Facebook page, "The artist Ghanem Hamid is victorious."
Because he said (Saddam Hussein, may God have mercy on him), the
Minister of Culture prohibits the celebration of director Ghanem Hamid
, Minister, you know that Mr. Ghanem in the early nineties was criticizing Saddam while he was inside Iraq and was imprisoned more than once.
You know Ghanem Hamid has not benefited from Saddam or from you and even Now it is due to rent !! # The fool pic.twitter.com/0xfkwSg8wF
Ali Al-Khalidi (@alialkhalede) November 16, 2020
Journalist Ali Al-Khalidi told the Minister of Culture, "Minister, you know that Mr. Ghanem in the early 1990s was criticizing Saddam while he was inside Iraq, and he was imprisoned more than once. You know that Ghanem Hamid has not benefited from anything throughout his life, neither from Saddam nor from you and until now he is." He sits in a rented house. "