Bingo Brings Religions Together

This article about bingo in Baghdad really warmed our hearts.  You would be forgiven for thinking bingo would never be played in Baghdad given the wars over that the last 10 years and ongoing security concerns within Iraq, or maybe because certain religions do not condone the game.  However it turns out now that Iraqis feel a growing sense of security, bingo is going through a massive resurgence and is the trendy thing to do.  Although this is only a tiny snapshot of Iraq, bingo is becoming the game that is bringing people from all religions together – now that is music to our ears!

Saturday night is bingo night and at Baghdad’s 85 year old elite social club, the Alwiyah Club, the parking lot gets packed as hundreds of people of all ages arrive, pop music blasts over the lawn, and the atmosphere is decidedly secular. A large outdoor bingo screen is lit up and a man calls out the numbers and letters.  Women on Baghdad’s streets usually cover their hair, here young women in blue jeans and snug-fitting blouses mingle with the men.  Previously under Saddam Hussein’s rule alcohol was banned, however those times are long gone and it is now served in the bar.

This is such a fabulous example of the fun and positive aspects of bingo and how it brings people of all ages and religions together.  The big jackpot or bonus in all of this is the fact that bingo nights can actually now safely happen in a country where the people have suffered so much – how wonderful must that feel!

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