Kurdistan Islamic Group

Kurdistan Islamic Group (Kurdish: کۆمه‌لی ئیسلامیی کوردستان / عێراق‎ Komelî Îslamî Kurdistan / 'Êraq; Arabic: الجماعة الإسلامية الكردستانیة / العراق‎ al-Jumāʿa al-islāmiya al-Kurdistaniya - al-ʿIrāq) is a movement in Iraqi Kurdistan established in May 2001 by Ali Bapir, a former leader of the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan.

Kurdistan Islamic Group کۆمەڵی ئيسلامیی كوردستان Komelî Îslamî Kurdistan
Leader	Ali Bapir
Founded	2001
Headquarters	Arbil, Iraq
Ideology	Islamism Kurdish nationalism Social conservatism
Political position	Right-wing
Colours	Orange
Seats in the Council of Representatives of Iraq:	3 / 328
Seats in the Kurdistan Parliament	7 / 111
Party flag
Website
komalnews.org
Politics of Iraq Political parties Elections

Policy

Regarding their position in relation to other political parties, in a January 2003 interview Ali Bapir stated:

"Our policy is that we enter into fraternity and cooperation with all Islamic groups. We seek such fraternal relations with Islamic parties and organizations, Islamist figures, and groups that follow a Salafi tradition or a Sufi or a scientific tradition. In the Komala Islami, we believe that the group must be open-minded and seek fraternity with all those who call or act for Islam. If we see a mistake, we will try to correct it through dialogue and by creating a fraternal atmosphere."

Elections

In the Iraqi legislative election of January 2005, it decided to run independently from the main Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan. It received over 60,000 votes (about 0.7%) and two seats in the transitional National Assembly of Iraq. After the elections, the party agreed to join the Kurdish alliance's National Assembly caucus.

The same day, it won 85,237 votes and six Kurdish National Assembly seats in the 2005 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election. Also that day, in the 2005 Iraqi Kurdistan governorate elections it won 18,781 votes (2.9%) and one seat (out of 41) in Hawler as well as 53,088 votes (7.3%) and three (out of 41) seats in Silemani.

In the Iraqi legislative election of December 2005 they decided to join the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan and were allocated one seat.

In the 2009 Kurdistan Region parliamentary election they formed a coalition with the Kurdistan Islamic Union, the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party and the Future Party, called the Service and Reform List. The list came third in the election, winning 240,842 votes (12.8%) and 13 (out of 111) seats.

In the 2010 Iraqi legislative election they formed their own independent list. Despite numerous campaigns, a number of their members collapsed and they received only 152,530 votes (1.32%) and two seats (one in Hawler and one in Silemani).

References