Acts of civil disorder
| 1977 Shia uprising in Iraq |
|---|
| Date | February 4-9 1977 |
|---|
| Location | |
|---|
| Result |
Uprisings failed |
|---|
|
| Belligerents |
|---|
 Ba'athist Iraq |
Iraqi rebels |
| Commanders and leaders |
|---|
|
Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr |
No centralised leadership |
The 1977 Shia protests in Iraq, or the Safar uprising, were a series of demonstrations and riots against the Iraqi government in Karbala and Najaf Governorates, the demonstrations started on 4 February 1977 and finished on 9 February in the same year.[1][2] Demonstrators had taken to the streets to demonstrate against the Iraqi government because they had blocked Arbaʽeen Pilgrimage.[1][3] The Iraqi security forces killed and arrested many protesters and presented them to trial in a revolution court, the revolution court declared execution for eight demonstrators and life imprisonment for 16 demonstrators.[4]
Background
On 17 July 1968 the Ba'athism took power in Iraq, Ba'athism is an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist ideology that promotes the development and creation of a unified Arab state. In 1977, Ba'athism attempted to ban an annual pilgrimage to Karbala as well as attempted to ban religious processions.[5] This move sparked protests, with the pilgrimage transforming into the 1977 Safar uprising in holy shia citys.[6][7]
