Artists in Iraq’s southern port city of Basra have adapted the beloved characters of “Bab al-Hara” (“The Neighbourhood Gate”); a period drama watched across the Arab world, to convince their compatriots to take the pandemic seriously.
The scenes are meant to be lighthearted, but the messages behind them are no laughing matter.
“We created these skits to raise the public’s awareness of what measures the health ministry has asked them to commit to, how to disinfect and clean your hands, and how to abide by the lockdown,” the crew announced.
The language of comedy may convince people to take preventative action against the virus in ways government orders could not, said Youssef al-Hajjaj, who plays Abu Issam’s son in the “Bab al-Hara” parody.
“These sketches use comedy to spread information about staying protected when leaving your homes,” Hajjaj said.
Pop hits have also been used to persuade Iraqis to stay home, including a remixed music video of a beloved Egyptian hit featuring a police officer at a checkpoint.
“Corona’s got us under curfew here, the world is crazy and full of fear,” he croons.
Iraq has recorded more than 2,000 novel Coronavirus cases, including over 90 deaths, although many suspect the real number of cases is much higher as authorities have yet to introduce widespread testing or contact tracing.
Basra, where health services are notoriously poor, is witnessing an uptick in infections, with nearly 100 new cases in recent days raising the total to 450.
Authorities fear a jump in case numbers could overwhelm Iraq’s dilapidated health system — ravaged by decades of conflict and underdeveloped due to little investment and widespread corruption.
