Sovereignty Alliance clarifies al-Khanjar’s controversial remarks
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Monday, Iraq's Sovereignty Alliance (Al-Siyada), a major Iraqi Sunni bloc led by Khamis al-Khanjar, issued a clarification over al-Khanjar’s remarks that drew sharp political and public debate.
In a statement, the alliance explained that al-Khanjar’s use of the Arabic term ‘ghoghayiyeen’ (mob-like), a phrase associated with the former regime’s description of the 1991 popular uprising, was directed at “outlaws” accused of attacking Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque in Baghdad in December 2023 and insulting Sunni religious figures. That incident prompted then–prime minister to order an investigation and introduce measures to protect places of worship.
According to the alliance, the controversy began when electronic networks, allegedly tied to political groups and militias accused of committing crimes against humanity, circulated a distorted excerpt of al-Khanjar’s remarks.
بيان صحفيتهديكم الدائرة الإعلامية لتحالف السيادة أطيب التحيات، وتود أن توضح للرأي العام أن ما يُروَّج له عبر بعض الصفحات والمواقع التابعة لجيوش إلكترونية مشبوهة، مرتبطة بجهات سياسية وميليشيات متهمة بارتكاب انتهاكات وجرائم ضد الإنسانية، بشأن تصريحٍ مجتزأ للشيخ خميس الخنجر رئيس…
— السيادة (@alseyadaiq) September 1, 2025
On Sunday, Saud al-Saadi, head of the parliamentary Huqooq (Rights) Bloc, the political wing of Kataib Hezbollah, submitted a complaint to Iraq’s High Electoral Commission demanding the disqualification of al-Khanjar from the November 11 parliamentary elections for “exploiting a religious institution for electoral purposes,” an act considered a violation punishable under the Parliamentary and Provincial Councils Elections Law.
