An iftar banquet hosted by an Iraqi tribe for a number of foreign diplomats, led by the US ambassador in Baghdad Alina Romanowski, sparked a wide debate on social media about what activists described as "exceeding powers and violating tribal customs."
Romanowski posted on her Twitter account last Monday a tweet that includes pictures showing her sitting with tribal sheikhs in the Diwan of "Al Azerj", in addition to a number of diplomats, but quickly deleted them after a torrent of criticism and ridicule by social media users.
"During the holy month of Ramadan, I am grateful to share Iftar with Iraqi tribal elders whose vision is important to building a stronger, stable, and more prosperous Iraq," the U.S. ambassador wrote in her post.
🔺The US ambassador to Iraq deletes her tweet on Twitter after a campaign of ridicule!!
Come on meet but they delete you they delete #احذفلي_واحذفلك pic.twitter.com/3jVydnNJhw 😉
— Abdullatif Al-Hajoul (@Alhajwel1) April 3, 2023
Criticism and condemnation
Bloggers criticized the US ambassador and the Iraqi tribes, each according to his position, for what they described as going out through specific diplomatic activity and tribal customs, and "organizing unacceptable activities through meeting at the same table, especially since the two parties do not have any joint working relationship."
Activists considered that one of the tribes invited the US ambassador to an iftar banquet to reduce the value, prestige and symbolism of the clan among Iraqis and contrary to its position rejecting the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, demanding an apology for this "inappropriate" behavior, as they described.
Iraqi parliamentarian Alia Nassif wrote on her Twitter account, "With respect to all the honorable tribal sheikhs, it is sad and embarrassing for some sheikhs to sit in a council led by the US ambassador, and dominate the audience as if it were higher than them, while they refrain from going and sitting in the openings (condolence councils) of women of their people, because they are ashamed to sit in the consolation of a woman. A strange contradiction."
With all due respect to all the honorable tribal sheikhs, it is sad and embarrassing for (some) sheikhs to sit in a council led by the American ambassador and dominate the audience as if they were higher than them, while they refrain from going and sitting in the openings of women of their own people because they are ashamed to sit in the consolation of a woman! Strange contradiction!
— Deputy Alia Nassif Jassim (@ALYANSAIFJASIM) April 4, 2023
"The Al-Azerj tribe must condemn this shameful act by receiving one of its sheikhs, the US ambassador, and investigate the matter of the sheikh who arranged this banquet dancing on the blood of thousands of Iraqi and Muslim martyrs killed by America," political researcher Muqtada al-Maqdisi said.
🔺The Al-Azirj tribe must condemn this shameful act by receiving one of their sheikhs to the ambassador of the evil and terrorist state
And investigate the matter of the sheikh who arranged this banquet dancing on the blood of thousands of Iraqi and Muslim martyrs killed by America!
Especially since there are photos documenting his suspicious relations with organizations and embassies of Western countries! pic.twitter.com/Uc2fgOxpnj
— Muqtada al-Maqdisi (@meQdisi) April 3, 2023
Journalist Aziz al-Rubaie tweeted, "Openness to the international community does not mean that we open our homes to those who give our killers legitimacy to continue running the country."
For his part, researcher Shahu Al-Qaradaghi criticized the tribal sheikhs, quoting the US ambassador's tweet, in which she says, "Iraqi tribal sheikhs, whose vision is important to build a stronger, stable and more prosperous Iraq, saying: Do you care about building a strong, stable and prosperous country? Or to achieve your interests regardless of the style of governance?"
Denunciation and clarification
Meanwhile, the "Al Azerj" clan in Iraq denounced in an official statement the invitation of a member of its tribe to the US ambassador to an iftar banquet, considering that "the act represents the individual vision of the person and does not represent the tribe known for its ancient history, authenticity, Arabism and patriotism," according to the statement.
This comes as a group of tribal sheikhs issued a clarification about the invitation of the US ambassador to the iftar banquet, stressing that the invitation was addressed to the European Union by the Office of Community Reform in cooperation with the Prime Minister's Office for Tribal Affairs and not by them.
#العذر_أقبح_من_الفعل Sheikh of the Al-Azerj clan explains how the American ambassador was invited @USAmbIraq and
says we are against the occupier and against normalization Sheikh Tra Sotoha without salt against the occupier
against normalization
You are obliterating the important
Sheikh of this paper that you read Amnin Jtk
Beha Directives from your uncle Maliki# What you become_neighbor ... pic.twitter.com/0HgFz5TAES
— Iraq Platform (@Manasataliraq) April 4, 2023
The sheikhs said in the clarification video that the invitation of the US ambassador was made through the Australian ambassador, as the Office of Community Reform did not send a special invitation to her, stressing the position of the tribes refusing to deal with representatives of countries that harmed Iraq, as they put it.