Booksellers won’t let virus close them down

Monitoring Desk

BAGHDAD: They survived censorship under Saddam Hussein and the years of violence that followed his downfall, so the booksellers of Baghdad are not too worried by coronavirus. Iraqi authorities have urged people to avoid public gatherings and ordered cafes to close as virus cases have hit 67, mainly blamed on travelers from Iran.

Yet the booksellers of Mutanabbi Street on the banks of the River Tigris are still meeting their customers to do business and discuss politics in the usual way. Some cultural events have been canceled but writers, musicians and painters still flock there on Fridays, gathering near the imposing statue of Mutanabbi, the 10th century poet after whom the street is named. Numbers are down due to the virus and months of violent anti-government street protests, but staying at home is not an option for hard-core book lovers, even if it does mean wearing a face mask.

Courtesy: (Reuters)