Wasit police arrest 'Al-Alaahiyah' member overseeing suicide practices. (Photo: Wasit Police Directorate)
Suicide rituals
Wasit police arrest suspect linked to extremist ‘Al-Alaahiyah’ cult
WASIT — Wasit police arrested a suspect on Tuesday, accusing him of overseeing a suicide lottery ritual connected to the extremist Shia group known as “Al-Alaahiyah” (Qurban, meaning sacrifice), according to a statement issued by the provincial police directorate.
The police statement explained the operation: “In a distinguished security operation, and based on accurate intelligence information, detachments from the Criminal Investigation Division in northern Wasit Governorate managed to arrest a suspect belonging to one of the deviant religious movements that calls itself ‘Al-Alaahiyah,’” the statement read.
Authorities have long been concerned about the group’s radical practices, which include advocating suicide during religious rituals and attributing divinity to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib—stances that sharply diverge from mainstream Shia beliefs. These practices have reportedly led to several suicide incidents in Iraq’s southern governorates, prompting intensified security measures against its members.
Officials claim the suspect admitted during interrogation to recruiting young people into the movement and that that he received financial support from sources outside Iraq. The suspect has been handed over to the relevant legal authorities for further action.
In November 2024, a security source informed 964media that the total number of detainees linked to this group in Wasit had reached approximately 90. According to additional reports, the Al-Alaahiyah group originated in Dhi Qar in 2020 and has since spread to Basra, Diwaniya, Muthanna, Wasit, and other governorates.
The group’s emergence has raised alarms among Iraqi religious leaders and security forces, who argue that it strays from established religious practices and jeopardizes social stability. A security source previously told 964media that, while Iraqi law is tolerant of new religious movements, it requires that they do not insult other religions or threaten public security. “These conditions are not met by the Al-Qurban movement,” added the source.
