These sketches may not exactly seem cutting-edge political analysis by Western standards, but they reflect a society in which most people are uneasy about discussing with outsiders anything about those who rule them. “It is a funny play, but it also shows the problems we face,” says Mohsin Ali El-Bashir, a 33-year-old engineer, as he leaves the theatre. “It is trying to show how some people in authority misuse their position. We all suffer.” His 29-year-old friend, Talal Mohammed is quick to add: “But it is not direct criticism of the government, that is not possible.” Which is why, perhaps, the production has been allowed to continue without the regime clamping down — along with the huge popularity of the show, and a desire not to antagonize the populace too much in the face of the looming external threat.

But it is not just the theater which has been exploring new spheres. Before the Gulf War, there were just two or three art galleries in Baghdad. Now, despite severe difficulties, there are close to 30. “The artists often don’t have proper paper, pens, colors. They suffer, and still they create, and it’s good,” said Francis Dubois, the resident representative of the UN Development Program.

Many of the paintings depict suffering, the long years of war, death and decay. But there are also images of hope, of liberation and freedom. “We are banking on the Mukhabharat (the secret service) not being into abstract and expressionist art,” laughed one rising artist. “Otherwise a lot of us will be in trouble.”

The Independent, via arab news

Article reprinted in conjunction with the Palestine Chronicle: http://www.palestinechronicle.com