Iraq’s Speaker Al-Mashhadani urges anti-sectarian laws

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani called for legislation to criminalize sectarianism and urged social media platforms to remove content inciting sectarian divisions, warning of renewed tensions ahead of the country’s 2025 elections.

According to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Mashhadani described sectarianism as a “blind allegiance to one faction at the expense of others” and likened its dangers to past conflicts that nearly led to civil war in Iraq.

“The rise of sectarian rhetoric on traditional media and social platforms is fueling divisions under the guise of addressing past grievances,” he said, adding, “This rhetoric, if left unchecked, risks resurrecting failed projects of division once advocated by foreign powers.”

He cited past efforts to divide Iraq, referring to a decade-old proposal by US President Joe Biden—when he was a senator—to partition Iraq into federal regions, warning that similar attempts were resurfacing.

Al-Mashhadani accused political figures, business elites, and tribal leaders of exploiting sectarian tensions to challenge Iraq’s political framework, warning that sectarian narratives threaten national stability. “As the 2025 elections approach, this escalating discourse poses a serious threat at a time when the region faces turmoil,” he said.

To counter this trend, he outlined a six-point strategy, starting with parliamentary approval of a “Law Criminalizing Sectarianism,” to be enforced by the government under judicial oversight.

He also called for social media giants to shut down accounts promoting sectarian incitement, citing international precedents where governments have used sovereign authority to curb online threats.

Additionally, he urged religious authorities to issue binding rulings against sectarian rhetoric, political leaders to educate their supporters on the dangers of inflammatory discourse, and the government to address grievances among marginalized communities to ensure justice and equal rights.

To unify public opinion against divisive narratives, Al-Mashhadani proposed launching a national campaign under the hashtag #RejectSectarianism. “Iraq has always been a nation of all sects. We must act now to prevent sectarianism from undermining our future,” he concluded.