Iraqi Kurdistan warns against extremism and radical ideologies

Shafaq News- Erbil

Authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan warned on Thursday that religious extremism has no place in local society, asserting that any political force adopting such ideology would quickly lose public backing.

Speaking at a press conference in Erbil, the Director-General of the Office (Diwan) at the Kurdish Interior Ministry, Hemn Merany, stressed that countering extremism requires confronting its ideological roots and preventing the conditions that allow it to spread. Kurdish society, he noted, largely rejects radical views, and movements using hardline rhetoric rarely gain electoral support.

Merany added that no authority or party can impose extremist ideas on the Region, pointing to its long-standing traditions of coexistence and pluralism. He also highlighted ongoing awareness campaigns led by the Interior Ministry in cooperation with universities, schools, civil society groups, and media organizations to challenge radical narratives and strengthen social resilience.

Read more: Iraqi Kurdistan’s pluralism: A living model of coexistence