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Clash Between Political Parties In Iraq’s
Kurdistan
6.12.2011
By Joel Wing - ekurd.net |
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December 6, 2011
A conflict is emerging between two political parties
in Kurdistan. It started when several local clerics
in Dohuk province aligned with the Kurdistan Islamic
Union (KIU) condemned some businesses as being
un-Islamic. Their followers then left the mosques to
burn down dozens of these firms. The ruling
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) condemned this
riot, and urged its followers to hold counter
demonstrations, which led to attacks upon KIU
offices. That was followed by a war of words between
the two lists, and arrests, which could continue to
escalate in the following days. This is just the
latest clash between the ruling parties in
Kurdistan, and the opposition, which still have not
figured out how to work together within a democratic
system.
The dispute between the two Kurdish parties started
in the town of Zakho in Duhok province. On December
2, 2011, several clerics aligned with the Kurdistan
Islamic Union (KIU) during Friday prayers told their
parishioners that Asian massage parlors and liquor
stores should be banned in the city. After their
sermons were over, their followers flowed out of the
mosques, paraded down the streets, and set upon four
hotels, thirty alcohol shops, and one massage parlor,
burning many of them. Christians and Yazidis owned
all of the liquor stores. Afterward, the Kurdish
Democratic Party (KDP) condemned the riot, and
called on their supporters to take to the streets in
several cities and towns across the region. They
ended up attacking KIU offices in Zakho, Dohuk,
Sumel, and Erbil. This included four party offices,
which were set afire, and one was shot at, along
with a TV and radio station run by the list. Thirty
people were injured during these latter events,
including many policemen.
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Riots started in Zakho in Iraqi Kurdistan region
just along the border with Turkey.
Kurdistan Islamic Union offices in Sulaimaniyah,
Iraqi Kurdistan, after being attacked by Barzani's
Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP followers. Photo:
Al-Rafidayn |
The KIU immediately condemned the assaults upon
their facilities, and claimed that they had nothing
to do with the rioting in Zakho. President of the
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Massoud Barzani
called for a special committee to be formed to
investigate the incidents, which he called
pre-planned. That didn’t end things however.
The situation quickly escalated with arrests and
more demonstrations. First, the KIU organized its
own protests in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah provinces.
The party did not get official permission however,
and were met by the security forces. It also
threatened to withdraw from the Kurdish Coalition,
the alliance of all the Kurdish parties in the Iraqi
parliament. At the same time, the internal security
force, the Asayish, allegedly arrested several KIU
party members, including the list’s parliamentary
chief, a member of its governing board, and its
party chief in Duhok, and several others. The KIU
responded by threatening to go to court for the
burning of its offices. It accused the KDP of being
behind the attacks, and claimed that the clerics
that incited the original riot in Zakho were KDP
followers.
This is just the latest dispute between these two
parties. The KDP is the dominant list in the
Kurdistan region. It controls the region’s
presidency, and is expected to regain control of the
premiership in the beginning of 2012 as well. The
KIU on the other hand, is part of the Kurdish
opposition that has been gaining support in recent
years as some people have become disillusioned with
the ruling parties. The Islamic Union used to be in
an alliance with the KDP, but decided to run on its
own in the December 2005 elections. (1) As a result,
their offices in seven Kurdish towns were attacked
by the KDP, leading to four deaths, and 21 wounded.
The KIU was attacked again in Irbil during the 2009
Kurdish parliamentary elections. (2) The Islamic
Union ended up winning five seats in the balloting,
and today works with the Kurdistan Islamic Group and
the Change List as the major opposition parties. All
of them have faced continued harassment and
retaliation by the ruling parties since that voting.
It is with this background that the latest tit for
tat between the KDP and KIU can be understood. At
the same time, the KIU follows an Islamist ideology,
which condemns alcohol and other types of businesses
as being against its interpretation of Islam.
Clerics loyal to it incited a mob, which devastated
a section of Zakho, setting upon many businesses
owned by Christians and Yazidis who have been
victimized throughout Iraq since the fall of Saddam
Hussein. They are one of the only sects allowed to
sell liquor in the country. This violence should
have been condemned by all of Kurdistan’s parties,
and legal action taken against the culprits. KRG
Premier Barham Salih has promised to do just that.
Unfortunatley,www.ekurd.net
Iraq’s political parties are not quite versed in
democratic principals. Instead, they often turn to
rhetorical attacks, bullying, and force, which could
mean nothing substantive will happen. That has led
to the current impasse, with the KIU and KDP both
carrying out illegal activities, with no higher
institution able to enforce the rule of law. That
could lead to further escalation of the situation.
FOOTNOTES
1. Cetin, Cetiner, Kurt, Suleyman, “Barzani
Supporters Attack Kurdish Party Building,” Today’s
Zaman, 12/8/05
2. Aswat al-Iraq, “Kurdistan Islamic Union HQ
attacked in Arbil,” 7/27/09
SOURCES
AK News, “Fire on the Streets of Zakho – Unrest in
Duhok Governorate,” 12/4/11
- “Official: Entire cabinet changes after Kurdistan
PM swap,” 11/20/11
Ali, Hawar Abdulrazaq, “Kurdish President Deplores
Zakho Riots,” Rudaw 12/4/11
Ali, Mandy Samira, “Kurdish fears of the
repercussions of turmoil in Dahuk,” Radio Free Iraq,
12/4/11
Aswat al-Iraq, “Barzani stresses the need for
peaceful coexistence and put the blame on some of
the professors of religion,” 12/3/11
- “Demonstrationsdenouncing Islamic Federation
Headquarters burning,” 12/3/11
- “Deplores the events of an internal region of
Zakho and Barzani is an investigative committee,”
12/3/11
- “Deputy Governor of Dohuk: protesters burned
shops, hotels, beverages are outlaws,” 12/3/11
- “Dozens of supporters demonstrating in the Islamic
Union of Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, to protest the
burning of the headquarters of the party,” 12/3/11
- “Islamic Party of Kurdistan Democratic bears the
responsibility of burning its headquarters in Zakho
and Dohuk,” 12/3/11
- “Kurdistan Islamic Union calls upon his supporters
to organize protests and security forces intensified
their presence,” 12/3/11
- “Kurdistan Islamic Union HQ attacked in Arbil,”
7/27/09
- “KurdistanIslamic Party charges Kurdistan
Democratic Party with burning its HQs,” 12/3/11
- “Member of the Kurdistan Islamic Union reveals the
arrest of the head mass, and thus accuse the
Democratic,” 12/3/11
- “Necessity for peaceful co-existence, blame on
clergymen, -President Barzani,” 12/3/11
- “Vice-Islamic Union of Kurdistan looming mass
withdrawal form the coalition of Kurdish blocs,”
12/3/11
Cetin, Cetiner, Kurt, Suleyman, “Barzani Supporters
Attack Kurdish Party Building,” Today’s Zaman,
12/8/05
ekurd.net, “Islamic Mob stormed Christian + Yezidi
shops,” 12/4/11
Hasan, Rebin, “Islamic party’s “unlicensed” protests
being intercepted by police,” AK News, 12/3/11
- “KDP washes its hands before Consul-Generals,” AK
News, 12/4/11
- “U.S. Consul Geenral condemns Zakho Booze
Burning,” AK News, 12/4/11
Juhi, Bushra, “Crowds rampage in Iraqi Kurdish city
after sermons,” Associated Press, 12/3/11
Mohammed, Fryad, “Asayish denies arrests of KIU
officials,” AK News, 12/3/11
- “Leaders say courts will hear of arson cases,” AK
News, 12/3/11
National Iraqi News Agency, “Barzani orders to form
special investigative committee for the events of
Dohuk,” 12/3/11
- “Breaking news. Kurdish source: arrest of
Kurdistan Islamic Union Chairman and 5 of his
comrades,” 12/3/11
- “Kurdish source: burning / 4 / major hotels and /
36 / Alcohol shops selling ,the outcome of Dohuk
clashes,” 12/3/11
Rudaw, “Rioters Attack Liquor Stores, Offices of
Local Islamic Party,” 12/3/11
Taha, Yaseen, “secular alliance blamed for Kurdish
islamists election failure,” Niqash, 8/30/09
Joel Wing, with an MA in International Relations,
Joel Wing has been researching and writing about
Iraq since 2002. His acclaimed blog, Musings on
Iraq, is currently listed by the New York Times and
the World Politics Review. In addition, Mr. Wing’s
work has been cited by the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, the Guardian and the
Washington Independent. You may visit his Blog
Musings On Iraq at musingsoniraq.blogspot.com
Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net
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