Iraqi media watchdog condemns a clip of a Shiite cleric advising against marrying Kurds

Shafaq News/ An Iraqi media watchdog denounced discriminatory remarks made by a Shiite TV channel against the Kurds as a drive for "ethnic and sectarian conflict", calling for legal action against such deeds.

A Shiite satellite channel known as "al-Anwar TV" shared a clip of a clergyman called Hasan al-Amiri advising against "marrying Kurds" among other ethnic groups.

Al-Nakheel Center said in a statement that the clip is implicitly offensive to the Kurds and contributes to inciting ethnic and sectarian conflicts, dismissing it as an attempt to imbue discrimination by religious content.

The statement urged Iraqi media outlets to refrain from sharing offensive remarks toward any of the country's components and called for legal action against any party that "intentionally" promotes such offensive discourse and violates the media code of conduct.

Citing Hadith from the Shiite patrimony, al-Amiri said in a clip broadcast by al-Anwar TV that it is "Makruh" (i.e., an offensive, yet unforbidden, act) to marry Kurds, Khazar, blacks, and other people. The cleric justified this ruling by the differences in culture, norms, and traditions.