Iraqi authorities arrest members of extremist "Qurban" group in Muthanna
Shafaq News/ Iraqi security forces have issued arrest warrants for several individuals accused of belonging to the extremist religious group "Qurban" in the southern governorate of Muthanna, a police source said on Thursday.
The source reported to Shafaq News Agency that security forces had apprehended a young man affiliated with the "Qurban" group in the Najmi area of Muthanna, marking the second arrest of its kind in the governorate within 24 hours, following the detention of a 17-year-old boy in the Karama district based on confessions from other detainees accused of membership in the group.
The source further noted that more than 25 arrest warrants have been issued for other young individuals linked to the group, with efforts ongoing to apprehend them and bring them to justice.
In June, Iraq's National Security Service announced it had infiltrated the "Qurban" movement, also known as "Ali Allahia," which promotes extreme and deviant behaviors that have led to multiple suicides among young people in southern Iraq.
Shafaq News Agency has previously highlighted the activities of the "Qurban" group, particularly in Dhi Qar governorate. On April 22, 2023, a security source in Dhi Qar reported that recent suicides in the governorate were linked to this group, whose followers claim that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib holds divine status.
On May 15, 2023, a local source in Dhi Qar revealed that the "Qurban" group in the southern district of Suq al-Shuyukh had caused panic among the local community after one of its members hanged himself in a Hussainiya (a Shia congregation hall) as a sacrificial act. The source explained that members of the group believe they worship Imam Ali and periodically conduct a lottery to select a member who will offer themselves as a "sacrifice" for the Imam. Three suicides have been recorded in the same location in recent months, according to the source.
Notably, Al-Qurban was formed during the lifetime of the late religious leader Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, who distanced himself from them. None of the Shia religious references (marjaʿ) endorse this group.
