Sulaimani University probes Salafi lecturer's leaked audio

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

The University of Sulaimani (Al-Sulaymaniyah) is investigating Dr. Abdul Latif Ahmed Mustafa, known as “Abdul Latif al-Salafi,” a lecturer at the College of Islamic Sciences and a Salafi figure* in the Kurdistan Region, after recordings surfaced online referencing romantic relationships with female students attending his classes.

The recordings circulated after a Kurdish activist based in Europe reportedly leaked them, prompting the university to launch legal procedures and form a higher investigative committee to review the allegations and the circumstances surrounding their release.

“Any proven violations would be handled under applicable laws, and the outcome of the investigation will be published once completed,” the university added.

The case has triggered reactions among students at the College of Islamic Sciences, who issued a letter to public opinion, the Kurdish Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the university presidency, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)— the leading party in the Kurdistan Region— expressing concern over harassment of female students while claiming “unequal treatment and discrimination within the college.’’

Students also rejected the lecturer’s continued involvement in teaching or administrative duties, urging a boycott of classes at the start of the upcoming academic year, and framed the move as necessary to ensure accountability and protect the reputation of the University of Sulaimani, Al-Sulaymaniyah, and the Kurdistan Region.

*A Salafi figure refers to someone who follows or promotes Salafism, a conservative movement within Sunni Islam.