Ashura is a period of mourning in remembrance of the seventh-century martyrdom of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in modern-day Iraq in 680 AD. [Getty]
Iraq‘s National Security Service announced on Saturday the arrest of 39 suspects linked to an outlawed religious movement known as the al-Qurban Group, or “Sacrificers” in English, in a security campaign in four provinces in central and southern Iraq.
The group, which emerged several years ago before going underground, has since resurfaced, prompting a major security operation to apprehend its members, who allegedly carry out ritualistic suicide as an act of devotion and worship.
Four individuals were arrested in the Wasit province after Iraqi forces received intelligence indicating the presence of suspects there, according to a statement.
“The suspects were found in possession of photographs of a person who had previously committed suicide. During interrogation, they confessed to being members of this deviant movement and revealed plans to perform their extreme rituals, which involved a lottery to select a person to hang themselves,” the statement said.
Some 35 more suspects were also arrested in the provinces of Basra, Muthanna, and Diwaniyah, the statement added.
All those arrested were referred to the appropriate judicial authorities for legal action.
The latest crackdown comes nearly three years after the group’s first public appearance in the southern city of Nasiriyah.
Security forces dismantled the group following a series of suicides among young men, particularly in southern Iraq. The group, which emerged during the lifetime of late religious leader Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, has been criminalised by Iraqi law over its harmful rituals.
Despite its historical roots, al-Sadr distanced himself from the group due to its extreme practices. His son, prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, has previously disavowed similar mystical groups due to their nonconformist practices.
The approximately 2,500-strong group has developed a cult-like following among young individuals in Iraq, particularly in the southern regions of Wasit, Basra, and Dhi Qar.
While largely limited to Iraq’s southern governorates, some observers suggest that the group’s beliefs are inspired by Iranian religious movements that allegedly promote the spiritual primacy of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib.