Sat 06 July 2019:
The use of drugs in Iraq has reached dangerous levels, according to the representative of Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali al-Sistani Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai. Karbalai accused influential politicians of protecting drug dealers, warning that the sharp rise in the use of drugs especially by young men and women is alarming.
Speaking during his Friday sermon, the cleric called for action by the concerned parties, stressing the need for a legal deterrent and punishment to put an end to this phenomenon. Karbalai described the country’s drug law as weak with minimal penalties, revealing that narcotic convicts continue to be pardoned because of their connections. In his speech, the representative also addressed corruption issues, calling on the government to be alert for corrupt figures.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, an Iraqi security official described the abuse of drugs as a “great danger.”“It’s not just a security threat,” he said. Former chief of Iraq’s Commission on Public Integrity Moussa Faraj indicated that the drug problem has grown significantly in the country, affecting the entire society, including students in elementary schools. Faraj told Asharq Al-Awsat that procedures to combat the phenomenon are linked to the influence of people who are protecting the traffickers, and therefore, any measures can’t be discussed as long as certain sides protect them at home and abroad.
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