Author: heval » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:38 pm
Attack on Yekgirtui Islami left at least one dead and 24 wounded
12/8/2005 KurdishMedia.com
Islamic Union's building in Duhok
Photo from Reuters
Duhok-Kurdistan (KurdishMedia.com) 08 December 2005: KurdishMedia.com compiled this report from the Kurdish city of Duhok about the bloodied incident relating to Yekgirtui Islami (the Kurdistan Islamic Union) and the KDP supporters leading to the Iraqi general elections. The name of those who talked to KurdishMedia.com, upon their request, kept anonymous.
The conflict triggered when Yekgirtui Islami decided to take part in the Iraqi-wide elections as a separate list, not becoming part of the Kurdistan Alliance List No. 730.
On the 2nd day of December 2005, the KDP Asayish forces (security forces) arrested three members of Yekgirtui Islami although they were elected to be the monitors of the elections on the 15th of December 2005. They are Alaaddin Mohammed Ghazi, who was arrested on Monday 28th November 2005, Abdul Jaleel Ibraheem who was arrested on Friday 2nd December 2005 and Salah Khalid Rashou who was also arrested on Friday 2nd December 2005.
The KDP also attacked the house of Miqdad Hafzullah in Sheladiza on the 28th November 2005 and arrested him.
On the 2nd December, the Imam of Haji Arab Mosque directly attacked and condemned the attitude of the Yekgirtui Islami and he stated that anyone who does not vote for the Kurdistan Alliance List No. 730 is a infidel and an enemy of God and his prophet.
On the 6th December 2005 a group of students from Dohuk Industrial preparatory school, which is beside Bizav intermediate school, with a considerable number of members of the public have attacked the headquarter of the Islamic Union and ordered them to replace the Kurdistan Flag flying on their headquarters with Saudi Arabia flag because the Islamic Union act upon the orders of Saudi Arabia, and there is no need to raise Kurdistan Flag on their headquarter.
Yekgirtui Islami members refused the protesters’ request and prevented the crowds from entering the building. The KDP forces and the people insisted to enter their headquarters. The Yekgertu guards began to shoot at the public and injured some of them. Later, the public, the students and the police attacked the headquarters, and resulted in wounding some of Yekgertu members, setting fire to the building and robbed their furniture. In addition to burning their TV and their radio stations, the protesters burned many of their vehicles. The total number of these wounded was 24.
The representative of Yekgirtu in Zakho district was killed and some of the other members there were wounded critically.
To defuse the situation, the KDP leader, Masoud Barzani, and the Kurdistan parliament had formed a committee to investigate the events.