Babel protesters urge Hashd al-Shaabi to remain in Jalat Nasir amid sectarian rhetoric concerns

BABEL, Iraq — Demonstrators gathered Saturday in the Musayyib district of Babel province to demand that the Hashd al-Shaabi Forces remain deployed in the Jalat Nasir area and to denounce what they described as sectarian statements. The rally reflected continued local concern over the security and demographic future of the area, which was retaken from the Islamic State years ago. Mihend al-Anzi, head of the Babel Provincial Council's Security Committee, said Hashd al-Shaabi fighters are part of Iraq's national security structure and are Iraqis defending their own land. He claimed that not all those present in the Jalat Nasir area in 2014 were Iraqi nationals and that security forces arrested many of them. While the region has been cleared of terrorism, al-Anzi said returns remain extremely difficult because tens of thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance have not been removed, placing responsibility for the return file with the central government. Local figure Sheikh Muwaffaq al-Amiri said residents reject sectarianism from any source and will not accept the revival of sectarian discourse. He called for respect for the blood of those killed during the fight against terrorism. Protesters asked the federal government to clear mines and war remnants, facilitate safe returns under formal arrangements, and halt rhetoric that could reignite sectarian tension. A commission proposed by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi to follow the Jalat Nasir file is due to begin field work with a site visit to the area on Sunday.