Back in the 1970’s Baghdad’s Abu Nawas Street was the place to go for a good time. It was home to a string of bars and night clubs. This all changed in 1994 when Saddam Hussein banned all such activity. Then came came the American invasion and subsequent Islamic insurgency, which left tens of thousands dead and lead to many artists fleeing the country.

Three months ago Nouri Al-Maliki the Prime Minister of Iraq allowed the opening of nightclubs and since then numerous establishments have opened in Baghdad as MSNBC reports:

“In the 1970s, Abu Nawas Street was the nexus of Iraq’s night life. Bars stayed open until the early morning. In 1994, Saddam Hussein, in an attempt to win the support of religiously conservative Iraqis, closed all the nightclubs.

After the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Shiite militias and Sunni insurgents targeted alcohol sellers. They issued death threats to singers and dancers, forcing many to flee the country.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in an effort to portray himself as a secular nationalist, allowed the reopening of the nightspots three months ago, a move that has bolstered his popularity among many urban Iraqis. Still, most nightclubs have remained closed for much of the time since his order, a period that includes several Muslim holidays.

Threats from extremists remain, but the heavy security measures across the capital have brought confidence.

Nightclubs are starting to open up in other parts of Baghdad. Hotels are hosting dance parties for well-off Iraqis. Social clubs, where alcohol and gambling are part of the fare, are seeing more customers. Performers are returning from exile….

…And Abu Nawas Street is arguably the safest street in the capital. It runs along the Tigris River, ending at one entrance to the Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government buildings are situated. Hassan’s nightclub is on a stretch of street that is blocked off on either end by blast walls and checkpoints guarded by Iraqi private security contractors and police. Several American and European media organizations have fortresslike bureaus up the road, each with its own private force. American troops patrol on foot virtually every day.”

(Source: MSNBC)

It must be very hard spreading Jeffersonian democracy in the Muslim world. I am sure the American “guests” need all the alcohol and ugly prostitutes they can get.

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