Iraq arrests Al-Qurban sect member over suicide ritual

Shafaq News/ Iraqi police arrested a suspect belonging to the “Qurban” group in Wasit province, for overseeing a lottery-based suicide sect, the Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, Wasit Police Command said that its criminal investigation unit conducted the arrest during a security operation based on precise intelligence.

“During the questioning, the suspect confessed to supervising suicide rituals, in which a lottery determines who will hang themselves to death, in addition to persuading young people to join the extremist movement and receiving financial support from outside Iraq,” the statement added, pointing out that the suspect has been referred to the relevant authorities for legal action.

The 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.