10 Al-Qurban members arrested in Maysan

Shafaq News / Iraqi security forces arrested 10 members of the “Al-Qurban” group in Maysan province and prevented a planned suicide ritual, the National Security Service reported on Friday.

“The arrests followed intelligence that a member of the group had been chosen by lottery to hang himself within three days as part of the sect's practices,” the Service said in statement. “Security forces detained the individual, identified as A.S., at a café in central Maysan before he could carry out the act.”

The Service noted that “the detainee confessed his ties to the sect and disclosed the identities of other members, leading to the arrest of nine more individuals,” pointing out that all have been referred to the relevant authorities for legal action.

Earlier this week, the Iraqi Interior Ministry revealed that Iraqi police arrested a suspect belonging to the “Al-Qurban” group in Wasit province, for overseeing a lottery-based suicide sect.

The Al-Qurban sect, also known as the “Allahiyah,” is a controversial and clandestine religious group that has attracted attention in Iraq, especially in the southern governorate of Dhi Qar. This sect advocates unconventional beliefs and practices, including self-sacrifice or "offering oneself" in religious ceremonies.

The extremist group was founded during the tenure of the late religious leader Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq Al-Sadr, who distanced himself from the sect. Additionally, the group is not recognized by any mainstream Muslim sect.

The group's practices first made headlines in 2023 after an apparent case of linked suicides. The Alahiya movement again raised concerns in May 2024 when several of its followers in Dhi Qar, including a 15-year-old boy, were reportedly found dead in acts of apparent ritual suicide. In July 2024, Iraqi security forces arrested 39 members of the sect in the provinces of Wasit, Basra, Muthanna, and Diwaniyah after they engaged in extreme rituals, including attempted suicides.