Ali Bapir advocates for Islamic-based governance in Iraqi Kurdistan

SULAIMANI, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— During a campaign rally on Tuesday in Kalar, a town in Garmiyan in Iraqi Kurdistan, Ali Bapir, the leader of the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), formerly known as the Kurdish Islamic Group (KIG), called for a governing system based on Islamic principles.

Bapir, often viewed as a radical Islamic figure, emphasized that the Kurdistan region has been fragmented into two distinct spheres of influence, attributing this division to a broader societal backwardness.

“As Muslim people, our systems—governance, economy, society, morals, education, and science—must derive their foundations from the Quran and Sunnah,” Bapir declared to a gathering of supporters. His remarks underscore the party’s commitment to infusing Islamic teachings into the fabric of the region’s governance.

Bapir also addressed the importance of open dialogue about the region’s challenges, criticizing the current political landscape.

“Running a country is not done like this,” he stated, pointing out what he perceives as the detrimental effects of the existing division between the two dominant political forces in the Kurdistan region. He referred to these areas as the “Yellow Zone” and “Green Zone,” terms that signify the territories controlled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), respectively.

Last week, Komal introduced its candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections during a session held in Erbil. This election, scheduled for October 20, 2024, has been delayed multiple times over the past two years due to ongoing disputes among political factions.

Bapir called for support for the Hamas group after Palestinian Islamic militants launched an ISIS-style attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 Israeli civilians. The U.S., Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Japan, and Israel have all designated Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Ali Bapir with Khaled Mashal — Ali Bapir (R), the leader of the Islamic Kurdistan Justice Group (KJG) formerly Kurdish Islamic Group KIG (Komal) of Iraqi Kurdistan, with Khaled Mashal, the chief of the Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas, Turkey, September 17, 2015. Photo: SM/via iKurd.net

In 2015, Bapir met with Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in Ankara. Observers often categorize Bapir and Komal as radical Islamic entities linked to the broader Muslim Brotherhood, with claims of financial backing from Qatar.

The political landscape in Iraqi Kurdistan includes several Salafi Islamic parties that are sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, raising concerns among analysts about potential future risks to the region’s stability.

Despite a history of cooperation within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the KDP and PUK maintain control over different regions—Erbil and Duhok provinces are under KDP influence, while Sulaimani and Halabja fall under PUK authority.

Komal was founded by Ali Bapir, a veteran leader of the Islamic Movement in Kurdistan (IMK), a coalition of Islamic political factions established in 1987. The IMK aimed to gain territorial control in various parts of the Iraqi Kurdistan region to implement Islamic law (Sharia).

As Iraqi Kurdistan region approaches its parliamentary elections, the presence of Islamist parties such as Komal and the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) is expected to significantly shape the political discourse, highlighting the ongoing tension between secular governance and Islamic principles.

(With files from Rudaw)