
Assad Hussein – Activists
If we look at history and the arrival of Salafism in Kurdistan, it becomes clear that Salafi movements have been mobilized—like other ideological currents—into powerful social forces. Each of these currents arrived at particular historical moments with specific aims; when they gain shelter and patronage from those in power, they can shape societies and bend public life toward their goals.
What concerns us here are the specific threats Salafism now poses to Kurdistan.
Although Salafis claim to represent the truest form of Islam, they regard other Islamic schools of thought as deviant. That stance has made them a recurring destabilizing factor in southern Kurdish society. Unlike movements that sought broad social reforms, many Salafi actors have chiefly prioritized the advancement and sanctification of their own families and networks—often at the expense of the public good.
Salafi leaders have shown a readiness to accept the Kurdistan regional authorities when it suits their interests: they celebrate those in power, endorse their leaders, and insist that the populace must listen and obey. In this worldview, protests and acts of civil disobedience are branded as illicit.
For these reasons, Salafism finds fertile ground. Southern Kurdistan is predominantly Sunni-Shafi‘i in tradition; that social reality gives Salafi groups leverage to influence communities, recruit supporters, and expand their footprint. Left unchecked, those dynamics can breed radicalization: the same trajectory that produced ISIS in the past can be resurfaced when extremist recruiters target vulnerable youth and link them to violent networks.
One of the most dangerous tendencies within militant Salafi currents is the use of religion as a mechanism to erase Kurdish language and culture—substituting national and cultural identities with sectarian narratives. Several jihadists who emerged from the ISIS conflict (for example, figures like Mullah Shawwan) openly worked to crush dissenting thought, and many Kurdish fighters were killed under brutal, inhuman conditions.
In short: Salafism in its militant forms is like a planted bomb inside society—terrifyingly capable of detonating communal harmony, seizing institutions, and precipitating violence.
The regional authorities in Erbil and elsewhere have failed to offer a convincing alternative political project that secures the confidence of citizens. In some cases, political elites have allied with financiers and local actors who have enriched themselves while leaving ordinary people exposed to radicalization and social decay. These patronage networks have incentivized the spread of ideologies that undermine civic life.
Therefore, confronting the Salafi threat requires a multi-dimensional effort led by civil society, intellectuals, and defenders of freedom:
- Awareness and Education. Inform communities—particularly youth—about the risks of extremist ideologies and about the value of pluralism, Kurdish language and culture, and civic rights.
- Community Resilience. Strengthen local institutions (schools, religious bodies, cultural centers) so they can resist sectarian takeover and provide positive identity anchors.
- Rule of Law. Ensure that law enforcement and judicial responses target criminal networks and recruiters, not communities; uphold legal standards and human rights while dismantling violent networks.
- Political Reform. Pressure political elites to end patronage systems that enable radicalization, to increase transparency, and to invest in public goods that reduce vulnerability.
- Civil Society Mobilization. Encourage free media, grassroots organizations, and faith leaders who advocate non-violence to expose recruitment networks and support vulnerable families.
Salafism’s radical variants cannot be countered by repression alone; neither can they be defeated by indifference. The antidote is a democratic, civic, and culturally rooted strategy that protects rights, cultivates critical thought, and reaffirms the plural identity of southern Kurdistan.
We must act now—through awareness, social programs, legal measures, and political change—to prevent history repeating itself and to secure a future where Kurdish identity, culture, and freedoms are preserved.