ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) banned a political analyst on Tuesday from appearing on Iraqi television for six months, following remarks he made during a broadcast about Najaf's homosexuality rates. During a broadcast on the al-Rasheed television channel on Monday, Bashir al-Hujaimi said that the highest rate of homosexuality in Iraq is in Najaf, a sacred city for Shiite Muslims. On Tuesday, the CMC issued a statement banning Hujaimi from appearing on any Iraqi channel for six months for “proposing content in the media that violates the media broadcasting regulations.” His words breached state broadcasting regulations against “decency, morals, and public taste,” according to the statement, as well as for speaking “false and invalid materials.” Hujaimi denied that he disrespected Najaf in a video he posted on his X account that was seen by Rudaw on Tuesday. In the video, he added that he had merely stated the truth about the situation. “I am a son of Najaf,” Hujaimi said. “Najaf does not need me to bring it down, because it is a holy city. [It is holy] with its scholars and original inhabitants.” According to an Iraqi law ratified in June, any practice of homosexuality or transsexuality is criminalized, and anyone who engages in such acts faces imprisonment for no less than 10 years and no longer than 15 years, In response to the comments, some members of the Iraqi parliament and Najaf Governor Yousif al-Kanawi reportedly have filed criminal complaints against Hujaimi. This is not the first time Hujaimi has been banned from Iraqi television. In May, the CMC banned him for two months for multiple offenses, including insulting God, promoting alcoholic drinks, and spreading misinformation about vaccines.
