KRG forms anti-jihadist committee against IS

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – Since mid-2014, Kurdistan Peshmerga have fought back against the Islamic State (IS) on the battlefield. But to defeat IS one must battle their ideology. Kurdistan Regional Government has stepped forward for this ideological battle.

President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, has repeatedly stated that Islam denounces the brutality of the IS organization and that the members of the clergy must take an active role in raising awareness about the extremists’ ideologies.

IS militants have reportedly taken advantage of social media to extend their cyber war alongside their military activities. The importance of ideological counter-attack against the jihadists’ atrocities has convinced Kurdistan Regional Government officials to take structured measures against this extremist organization.

Mariwan Naqshbandi, the spokesperson of KRG Religious Affairs Ministry, told K24 that the government has formed a special committee to raise awareness against the extremist ideology and practices promoted by IS sympathizers in the region. He stated, “We have stopped some of the members of the clergy to preach in the mosques and hold Friday prayer speeches.”

He added that the Ministry of Religious Affairs believes these clergymen do not act with sufficient “seriousness” in the ideological fight against IS. He pointed out that the preaching of such clergymen has a harmful effect on youth. Naqshbandi explained, “Our efforts will continue to take measures against those members of the clergy and officials in the Ministry of Religious Affairs who don’t take this task [ideological fight against IS] serious enough.”

Abdullah Alayi, an Islamic writer and researcher, told K24, “Religious ideological battle cannot be accomplished without authority.” Alayi regretted to see some of the members of the clergy in mosques spreading extremist Islamic thoughts to people. He continued, “Salafi jihadism is the filter to become IS.”