AM:09:59:28/03/2022
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SULAIMANI — A mob
attacked a branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Baghdad and set
fire to the office after midnight on Monday (March 28) following a tweet from
the account of Dr. Naif Kurdistani, a KDP cadre, which was considered
insulting to Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Kurdistani later posted a message on his
Twitter page stating his account had been hacked and insisted he was not
responsible for the tweet that insulted Sistani.
"I apologize to the position of authority
represented by Sayyid Ali al-Sistani in Najaf for a misunderstanding regarding
the Marjaiya (Sistani's position),” Kurdistani said.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry
of Interior announced early on Monday an arrest warrant has been issued for Kurdistani.
"Freedom of expression does not mean daring
to attack religious and national symbols and insulting them, especially the position
of the Marjaiya,” the ministry announced in a statement.
"We affirm that the aforementioned
represents only himself,” the ministry stated. "The position of the Kurdistan Regional
Government and the people of Kurdistan is clear and explicit in respect and appreciation
for the role of the Marjaiya in Iraq and the Islamic world and it will remain so. "
The KDP also made an announcement
condemning the tweet and stating Kurdistani has no affiliation with the party.
"His tweet represents his personal opinion
and has no connection with our party, which truly believes in peaceful
coexistence and respect for beliefs of religions and sects,” the announcement
from the party noted.
(NRT Digital Media)