Istanbul – February 2016 Statement released by the Iraqi Social Forum and The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) On Friday, 2 February, a number of activists involved in the protest movement in the city of Nasiriyah were hit and beaten with sticks by a group of masked men during their peaceful and organized […]
Post-Daesh Problems: Diyala Province Undergoing Violent Ethnic and Sectarian Cleansing
Aida Al-Khatib – Niqash Locals in Diyala province say the area is undergoing ethnic and sectarian “cleansing”. Sunnis are not being allowed back into the multi-ethnic province, post Daesh. Thanks to the security crisis caused by the extremist group known as the Daesh, the demographics of the province of Diyala are changing. The extremist group […]
Kemal Erdogan’s Second Turkish Revolution
Soner Cagaptay – Washington Institute The Turkish leader seems intent on uprooting the Ottoman legacy and restoring Islam’s central role. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is all but certain to become the longest serving Turkish leader in modern history, surpassing even Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The founder of modern Turkey ruled the country for 15 years between […]
Sectarian is A Widespread Plague over the Digital Space
From the Study of Alexandra Siegel on Sectarianism and Counter Sectarianism Online Carnegie Endowment for Internationals Peace From fiery sermons disseminated by Salafi televangelists to gory videos circulated by the self-proclaimed Islamic State, sectarian narratives and hate speech are on the rise across the Arab world. As the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen rage […]
A Clear Violation of Freedom of Expression in Iraqi Kurdistan!
On the morning of Sunday 31 January 2016, in front of the Kurdistan Region Parliament – Iraq, in its capital, Erbil, the leftist activist Ali Mahmoud, and 7 other well-known leftist activists, were subject to arbitrary arrest by security forces there. The activists had been demonstrating peacefully in protest against rampant corruption and the policy […]
Omar Sattar – AlMonitor Baghdad — The city of Ramadi was liberated on Dec. 28, and Iraqi security troops accompanied by the Tribal Mobilization Forces, which are affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Units, advanced toward the remaining cities of Anbar province that were overrun by the Daesh in May 2015. Despite this, fears remain that political and […]
In the Regional Power Struggle, has Erbil Decided to Join the Sunni Bloc?
Frzand Sherko – fikraforum The security of the Kurdistan Region-Iraq (KRI) depends more on agreements between Erbil and Kurdistan’s neighbors than the KRI’s own security and intelligence capabilities. Whenever the regional powers surrounding the KRI have suspected that their interests are at risk, they have not hesitated to put the KRI’s security and stability in jeopardy to […]
AI Report on Northern Iraq: Banished and Dispossessed
A report by Amnesty International, Jan 20, 2016. Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kurdish militias in northern Iraq have bulldozed, blown up and burned down thousands of homes in Arab villages. Though KRG officials have tended to justify the displacement of Arab communities on grounds of security, it appears to be […]
Land Transport Company Management Fires on Employees and Workers Demonstrating for their Rights
By ICSSI, Jan 31, 2016. Employees and workers of the General Company for Land Transport demonstrated on January 25 in front of their company headquarters in Baghdad, requesting that their rights be respected, and that company corruption be brought to an end (including the prompt dismissal of all those involved in unethical practices). Following a […]
What will happen to Iraq’s Mandaeans?
By Saad Salloum – Al monitor – Jan 19, 2016. BAGHDAD — Unlike other religious minorities in Iraq, Sabian Mandaeans meet their election quota by selecting members within their community for parliament and provincial councils. The community’s three bodies — the Spiritual Council, General Assembly and General Affairs Council — supervise and nominate Mandaeans for senior […]
In Iraq the Tribes are going Nuts
Muhamed Hassan Basra is breathing a sigh of relief for a little while following a lull in fighting among tribal organisations. Most of the tribal conflicts have been taking place on the outskirts of the city, and it involves using some medium to heavy weaponry. It is a major source of anxiety for local residents […]
The Mosul Dam and the Italian Role. What are the Risks?
Press release by Save the Tigris and Iraqi Marshes Campaign, January 20th 2016. 1. Mosul Dam, the largest dam in Iraq, now the most dangerous dam in the world Risk of the imminent collapse of the Mosul Dam must be confronted immediately. The dam, which began operation in the 1980s, is located 35 kilometers north […]