Iraq bans organised visits to Saddam Hussein's grave

Tikrit, Iraq - The Iraqi government on Tuesday banned organised visits to the grave of former leader Saddam Hussein, who was executed in 2006. The cabinet ordered the Ministry of Education and the provincial government of Salah al-Din province to prevent school groups from arranging visits to the grave, which lies in Hussein's hometown of al-Awja, 10 kilometres south of Tikrit. 'The order will be implemented once we formally receive it, even if we have a different view,' a civil-servant in Salah al-Din's provincial government told the German Press Agency dpa. Thousands of Hussein's supporters pay tearful visits to his burial site every year. Some residents in the town described the decision as 'unwise' and said they believed it gave the impression the government was still afraid of Hussein. 'No matter how you look at it, this is a bad decision,' al-Awja resident Khalaf Mohsen, 50, told dpa. 'Whether or not we agree with the (current) government and president, Saddam will remain the president who led Iraq for so many years. Official orders cannot erase his legacy,' he said. 'Iraq needs strong people to govern it. How are those who are scared of graves going to rule it?' Khattab Bakr, another resident of the town, asked. Schools, particularly in the region around Tikrit, have arranged student trips to the site, especially on April 28, his birthday, or on December 30, the anniversary of his hanging. Children also bring flowers to the site on April 9, the day when US forces took Baghdad. School groups perform choreographed patriotic song routines, similar to those they performed during Hussein's 35 years as president. Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, whom were killed in a US attack in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in July 2003, are also buried near him. Local authorities are considering establishing a museum to house Saddam's personal affects and to document the most important stages of his life.