14-04-2025
Iraq arrests about 150 members of extremist Qurban cult
Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Iraqi security forces arrested 148 members of the outlawed Qurban sect, including the group's chief ideologue known as 'Al-Arif.'
Iraq's National Security Service (INSS) chief, Abdul Karim Al-Basri, announced that the arrest took place in Basra, Muthanna, Wasit, Maysan, and Dhi Qar provinces, where the group was reportedly operating in covert locations.
'Qurban sect poses a serious societal threat, particularly as such movements attract disillusioned youth and have been linked to multiple suicides,' Al-Basri warned.
The group, locally known as 'Al-Allahiya,' has gained notoriety for its extreme rituals. Followers reportedly venerate Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb, the first Imam in Shia Islam, as a divine figure and engage in sacrificial rites, including drawing lots among members, with the selected individual offered as a symbolic sacrifice.
