KRG Minister Warns Hate Speech Can Become a Threat to Life
KRG Transport Minister and Christian Alliance Secretary-General Ano Abdoka says Iraq cannot allow hate speech and incitement to become normalized amid its history of sectarian and ethnic violence.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Transport and Communications Ano Jawhar Abdoka has warned that calls for violence against citizens and communities cannot be dismissed as political rhetoric, arguing that Iraq's history shows how inflammatory language can contribute to real-world violence.
In a statement on Tuesday, Abdoka, who also serves as Secretary-General of the Christian Alliance in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, called for anyone proven to have incited the killing or harming of citizens to be held accountable through due legal process.
"Violence does not always begin with a bullet. Sometimes, it begins with a word," Abdoka wrote, framing incitement and hate speech as issues of public security, citizenship and the rule of law.
'Incitement is not freedom of expression'
Abdoka drew a distinction between protected political expression and language that encourages violence against individuals or communities.
He argued that political disagreement, criticism and intellectual debate must remain protected, but said calls for someone's blood to be shed cannot be treated as legitimate expression.
"Incitement to kill another human being is not an opinion," he wrote.
The minister also rejected the idea that political, religious, tribal or military status should shield individuals from accountability. He called for investigations to be conducted by independent judicial institutions and said evidence, rather than political considerations, should determine legal responsibility.
"At the same time, the law itself must never be weaponized for revenge or the settling of political scores," Abdoka said, emphasizing that accountability should not become a vehicle for political retaliation.
His comments come against the backdrop of renewed concerns in Iraq over political polarization, armed groups and sectarian tensions, issues that have repeatedly challenged the authority of state institutions.
Iraq's history of communal violence
Abdoka placed his warning within Iraq's long history of political repression, sectarian conflict and attacks against ethnic and religious communities.
He specifically cited Christians, Ezidis, Kurds, Turkmen, Shabaks and Muslims of different denominations as communities that have experienced the consequences of identity-based violence.
"We Christians, like our Ezidi, Kurdish, Turkmen, Shabak and Muslim brothers and sisters of different denominations and communities, know what can happen when human beings are reduced to labels based on identity," he wrote.
Abdoka invoked several historical tragedies, including Anfal, Simele, Halabja, Sorya, Dujail and Sayfo, while acknowledging that they occurred during different periods and under different circumstances.
His broader argument was that these episodes remain part of Iraq's collective memory and demonstrate the consequences of allowing dehumanization and hatred to take root.
The statement therefore links the protection of ethnic and religuoious communities' rights to a broader principle of equal citizenship, rather than treating the protection of Christians as an issue separate from the rights of other communities.
"A holy cross from the town of Baghdeda (Al-Hamdaniya District), which was vandalized and desecrated by ISIS terrorists during their occupation of the town and later recovered following its liberation. Bearing the visible scars of that destruction, this cross remains a powerful testament to the persecution and devastation inflicted upon the Christian presence and its sacred heritage. At the same time, it stands as an enduring symbol of the resilience of the people of Baghdeda and their steadfast commitment to their faith, ancestral land, and identity, despite all they have endured," Abdoka told Kurdistan24. (Photo Submitted to Kurdistan24)
Legal framework
Abdoka also pointed to existing provisions of Iraqi law that can apply to incitement and attacks against religious or communal groups.
He cited Article 200 of Iraq's Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, which addresses conduct involving the provocation of sectarian or communal tensions and the incitement of conflict and hostility among sections of Iraqi society.
He also referred to Article 372, concerning certain public offenses involving the beliefs and sacred matters of religious communities.
Depending on the circumstances and evidence, Abdoka noted that conduct involving incitement could potentially carry more serious legal consequences under Iraq's Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005.
He stressed, however, that determining criminal responsibility must remain the responsibility of the judiciary.
A broader call for equal citizenship
For Abdoka, the issue extends beyond criminal law and into the question of what kind of state Iraq seeks to build.
He called for an Iraq in which citizens can preserve their religious, ethnic and cultural identities without fearing that their existence will make them targets of violence.
"We want a country in which a Christian can live as a Christian without fear; an Ezidi as an Ezidi; and a Muslim as a Muslim," he wrote, extending the principle to Kurds, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriacs, Armenians, Turkmen, Arabs, Shabaks, Kaka'is, Mandaeans, Baha'is and other communities.
The statement also reflects Abdoka's dual political role as a senior KRG official and the head of a political organization representing Christian interests.
He argued that defending Christian rights cannot be separated from defending the right of every Iraqi citizen to life, dignity and security.
"The rights we demand for ourselves must also be rights we defend for others," Abdoka wrote.
'No one stands above the law'
Abdoka concluded by calling for a national principle under which incitement to hatred and violence is treated seriously regardless of the identity or influence of the person responsible.
His proposed approach combines protection of freedom of expression with stronger enforcement against language that directly encourages violence.
"The law stands above everyone; and no one stands above the law," he wrote.
The statement comes as Iraq continues to grapple with the legacy of decades of conflict while seeking to strengthen state institutions and social cohesion.
For Abdoka, the central lesson of that history is that preventing violence requires more than responding after blood has been spilled. It also requires confronting rhetoric and incitement that can undermine coexistence before they develop into violence.
His warning is ultimately framed as a defense of equal citizenship: protecting one community, he argues, cannot come at the expense of another, and the protection of life must remain the state's fundamental obligation.