According to analysts, Sadr, like other Islamist politicians, was trying to take advantage of the latest controversy to promote his image and win new supporters, even if that meant causing new chaos and trouble for the country.

If the children are added to about 400 adults – including militants detained in particular in the Syrian city of Hasaka – there are in total about 1,000 Europeans detained in the Iraqi-Syrian region.

The concept of “no-go-zones” has been a hot topic in media discourse in recent years. Sensational claims have been made about the existence of exclusively Muslim neighborhoods where non-Muslims are not allowed to enter. For instance, in 2015, to emphasize the gravity of the situation, Fox News guest and “terrorism …