The leaning minaret of the historic Al-Khatwa Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Imam Ali’s Footstep, in Zubair, Basra. Photo by 964media
Iraqi government withdraws request to make Zubair a governorate
BASRA — The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Wednesday ordered the cancellation of a directive to upgrade Zubair district to governorate status, less than 24 hours after the initial decision was issued.
The letter, signed by the prime minister’s office director Ali Razaqi al-Alami, referenced a government communication dated Sept. 9 regarding “the administrative upgrade of Zubair district to a governorate.” It added only: “Cancel what is necessary … with appreciation.”
The reversal follows months of debate over the proposal. On May 16, the Basra Governorate Council voted to reject the idea, warning that creating a new governorate would weaken cohesion and fragment administration. “There is no justification for upgrading Zubair,” Council Chairman Khalaf al-Badran said at the time. Council member Mahmoud al-Ameri said the move reflected a commitment “to preserving the administrative and geographic unity of Basra and avoiding any harm to the city’s social and economic fabric.”
Basra Governor Asaad al-Eidani also opposed the proposal, citing Zubair’s historic ties to Basra. “Zubair represents the old center of Basra, and its landmarks, such as the al-Khatwa Mosque — once known as the Basra Mosque — are historically linked to the city,” he wrote in a letter to the prime minister. He warned that the change would damage social peace and set a precedent for other districts to seek separation. He added that Zubair had already received service allocations “exceeding the ratios set by law” and that its geographic overlap with Basra made it unfit to function independently.
On Tuesday, al-Eidani reiterated his stance in a message to reporters, saying that while al-Sudani’s request for legal steps “did not violate the constitution or the law,” procedure required approval by the Zubair District Council, which no longer exists. “The Basra Governorate Council takes its place — and it has rejected this upgrade,” he said. “Zubair is part of Basra historically and geographically, and Basra itself began from what is now called Zubair.”
The debate has also been shaped by political pressure. On March 26, nearly 80 members of parliament signed a petition in favor of elevating Zubair, pointing to the example of Halabja in the Kurdistan Region. Local officials and activists in Zubair have made similar demands for more than a decade, at times threatening to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court.