At Int’l Conference on Moderation, Kurdistan reveals ways to weaken IS: Kurdish Scholar

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Kurdistan Region delegation is in Baghdad to partake in a three-day international conference on moderation to relay the Kurdish experience in the fight against the Islamic State’s (IS) ideology.

The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs and the Islamic Scholars Union (ISU) participated in the conference which began on June 25 and will end on June 27.

Many religious scholars were present to engage in a dialogue to “discuss methods to challenge extremist thinking,” head of Kurdistan’s ISU Dr. Abdulla Said Waisy told Kurdistan 24.

Participants at the conference are expected to discuss issues ranging from “the role of religious institutes in defending the society against extremist ideologies” to "social environment and its influence on fighting terrorism and extremism” as Hawza News reported on Saturday.

“Unity among our countrymen has overcome terrorism and evils,” the people of Iraq “from different spectrums and walks of life, put their hands into each other’s and achieved victory,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stated during the conference.

“The terrorists who are the biggest threats to peace perverted the Islamic religion from its moderate position to an ignorant path, but through our unity, we triumphed over them.”

Abadi called on Muslims to unite and not interfere with the beliefs of other individuals.

As representatives of the Kurdistan Region, Waisy expressed, “We want to clarify to the participants how the Kurds [historically] have been victims of radicalism,” and to specify measures the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) with the aid of various religious entities have taken to minimize effects of IS tactics to recruit Kurdish youth.

He said that the delegation’s attendance in the conference was “so that the other [participating] nations are introduced to how moderate the Kurdish people are.”

Waisy affirmed that the Kurds have “stood against extremism throughout history.”

He added that the Sunni Muslims of Iraq want to “learn from the experience of the Kurdistan Region” as they fought off fanaticism and expressed that they are willing to “assist any parties who want to” take on the endeavor.

Although Iraq declared victory over IS in December 2017, the extremists continue their guerrilla-style attacks, assassinations, and bombings across the country.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany