Kurdish President Deplores Zakho Riots

The office of the Kurdistan Islamic Union in Duhok after Friday's attacks. Photo Rudaw.

ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan – In response to a series of attacks on liquor stores and the offices of the Kurdistan Islamic Union in the Duhok province of Iraqi Kurdistan on Friday, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani said the attacks “particularly those on Christians and Yazidis had been planned in advance,”

“Unfortunately, on Friday some Mullahs and a group of youth committed unlawful acts and caused instability in Zakho,” Barzani’s statement read. “They attacked some tourist locations especially those of Christians and Yazidis and it seems the attacks had been pre-planned,”

Following fiery Friday sermons by some Muslim clerics, rioters stormed liquor stores, a massage parlor and several hotels in the border city of Zakho.

After the attack on the businesses that are mainly run by the province’s Christian community, groups of people raided the political offices and media organizations of the Kurdistan Islamic Union in Zakho, Duhok and Simel. The buildings were ransacked and burnt.

According to the police, around 30 people, the majority of them policemen sustained injuries in the riots. But no casualties were reported.

Zakho is located 300 miles north of Baghdad and it is within the boundaries of autonomous Kurdistan Region.

In a statement on Saturday, President Barzani said the attacks on the Islamic Union headquarters were unfortunate.

“Unfortunately, a group of people attacked the headquarters of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, which was an unjust act” Barzani’s statement read.

Barzani said that no one is allowed to cause instability in the Kurdistan region and that a special committee will investigate Friday’s incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Protecting harmony among Kurdish communities is not only the responsibility of Kurdistan government,” he said in his statement. “It’s everyone’s responsibility and we will not allow anyone to threaten this harmony,”

Ahmed Doski, Duhok Police Chief said at least 6 offices of the Islamic Union were attacked by rioters on Friday.

In an official statement the Islamic Union condemned the attacks.

“We have witnessed attacks on our 13th and 3rd branches as well as our Spede TV and radio stations in Simel by supporters of a party that is in charge of the area,” read the statement. “The attacks were irresponsible and far from all moral basis.”

It is said that angry mobs stormed the offices of the Islamic Union in retaliation to the clerical sermons who instigated people against the sale of alcohol, massage parlors and gambling.

But the Islamic Union denied any connections to the violent incidents in Zakho.

A statement by the party read, “The Islamic Union does not have any preachers in that city (Zakho) to justify the violence,”

In a press conference on Saturday, Salahaddin Bahaddin, secretary-general of the Islamic Union held the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) responsible for the attacks on the offices of his party.

“Yesterday’s events in the Badinan region didn’t have anything to do with Islamic Union,” Bahaddin said. “Those events are scenarios to kill any chance of reform and peace. Therefore we hold the KDP, Kurdistan’s presidency and the government responsible for those attacks on our offices and we will take matter to court.”

Kurdistan Region’s ministry of the interior condemned the attacks.

“We condemn all violent acts and all sides must keep calm,” the statement read. “We will not allow the rule of law to be breeched by anyone for any reason.”

On Saturday members of the Islamic Union staged peaceful demonstrations in Erbil and Sulaimani demanding that the attackers are brought to justice.