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Islamic Law Controls the Streets of Basra in Iraq
(Los Angeles Times) Louise Roug - Religion rules the streets of Basra in Iraq, a once cosmopolitan city, where women no longer dare go out uncovered. Unmarked cars cruise the streets, carrying armed, plain-clothed enforcers of Islamic law. Many members of the Badr Brigade, a paramilitary force affiliated with the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a leading Shiite party, have signed on to the Basra police force, where their first loyalty is to the party. On the Basra provincial council, 35 of the 41 members are affiliated with Islamic Shiite groups.