Iraq arrests about 150 members of extremist Qurban cult

Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Iraqi security forces arrested 148 members of the outlawed Qurban sect, including the group’s chief ideologue known as “Al-Arif.”

Iraq’s National Security Service (INSS) chief, Abdul Karim Al-Basri, announced that the arrest took place in Basra, Muthanna, Wasit, Maysan, and Dhi Qar provinces, where the group was reportedly operating in covert locations.

“Qurban sect poses a serious societal threat, particularly as such movements attract disillusioned youth and have been linked to multiple suicides,” Al-Basri warned.

The group, locally known as “Al-Allahiya,” has gained notoriety for its extreme rituals. Followers reportedly venerate Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb, the first Imam in Shia Islam, as a divine figure and engage in sacrificial rites, including drawing lots among members, with the selected individual offered as a symbolic sacrifice.

No Shia religious authority (marjaʿ) has recognized or endorsed the group, and the Iraqi authorities have banned it under laws criminalizing incitement to religious extremism and threats to public safety.