Ali Bapir

Ali Bapir, a.k.a. Mamosta Ali Bapir (Kurdish: عه‌لی باپیر‎; Arabic: علي بابير‎), is a Kurdish Islamic scholar and politician in Iraqi Kurdistan. He is the founder and current president of the Kurdistan Justice Group. He was born in 1961 in the Pshdar district, Iraqi Kurdistan. He has written over 150 books on politics, Islam, society, Kurds, and Kurdistan.

Ali Bapir
عه‌لی باپیر
Founder and Leader of Kurdistan Justice Group
Assumed office
2001
Iraq Council of Representatives
In office
2009–2013
member of political bureau of Kurdistan Islamic Movement
In office
1991–2001
Personal details
Born1961 (age 59–60)
Pshdar district, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Political partyKurdistan Justice Group
OccupationPolitical leader
ProfessionAuthor, Politician, and Islamic Scholar
Websitehttp://alibapir.net http://alibapir.com

In the 2009 Iraqi general elections for the Council of Representatives, he was one of the top 10 candidates with the most votes in the country. His party claims to have good relations with European Union countries, the United States, and other countries in the region.

Bapir fought against Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 1980s as a Peshmerga fighter. After splitting from Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (IMK) in 2000 and establishing the Kurdistan Justice Group, he stayed in the Halabja area adjacent to the Iranian border where extremists had established an Islamic emirate.[1]

When the Americans attacked extremists of the Ansar al-Islam group in March 2003, forces loyal to Bapir became collateral damage. Around two dozens of his armed Islamic forces were killed.

Shortly after the emergence of ISIS, Bapir released a series of books named "Denunciation of Extremism and Refutation of Extremist Ideas". This is the first book to be translated into English yet, in which Ali Bapir denounces religious extremism; using verses of Quran he refutes the extremist’s misuse and misinterpretations to Islamic convictions. In three interrelated parts, Bapir claims that the teachings of Quran encourage tolerance and coexistence. [2]

Literary career

In his initial writings Bapir has been inspired by the poet Khider Kosari.[3]

Criticism

In 2015, after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) made advances into the Kurdistan region, Bapir called for the defense of the Kurdish region and urged ISIL to not attack,[4] however, Kurdistan Justice Group were reluctant to release the statement, which led people to believe that it was only a political agenda, and that he and his group ultimately have the same ideology as ISIS.[5]

Mullah Khidir Mustafa Younis, president of the Fatwa Committee of United Scholars of the Islam Religion of Soran, said in an interview that the objectives of ISIS and Kurdistan Justice Group are the same, the only difference being ISIS located in Southern Iraq, while KJG are in the north. He confirmed that some people within Kurdistan Justice Group and also other youth were persuaded by Ali Bapir to join ISIS and fight against the Peshmerga forces, and called them a threat to the sovereignty of Kurdistan.[6]

Kurdistan Justice Group and Kurdistan Islamic Movement were among the first to congratulate the Taliban when they took control of Afghanistan. MPs of the group said that they are "sending them congratulations and prayers".[7]

Ali Bapir and the majority of the members of Kurdistan Justice Group have refused to stand to the Kurdish national anthem on numerous occasions, which caused fierce debate and criticism against him and the political fanction he represents.[8] While defending himself, he said in a statement that "nobody has the right to critisize us for not standing for the anthem, because we cannot respect an anthem which disrespects our religion", referring to part of the anthem which states: "our only religion is our nation."[8][9][10] This controversy led to a lawsuit against Ali Bapir's son-in-law, who was also a member of Kurdistan Justice Group.[11]

References
  1. Hawramy, Fazel. "Komal should 'shed' Islamic label: party leader". Rudaw. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  2. "Denunciation of ExtremismandRefutation of Extremist Ideas". الموقع الرسمي للشيخ علي باپير. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  3. Mohammed, Fatih (2019-05-08). "Los Angeles Review of Books". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  4. Wilgenburg, Wladimir van (2015-02-09). "Islamic State Threatens Kurdish Clerics". War Is Boring. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  5. www.rudaw.net https://www.rudaw.net/sorani/kurdistan/1908201415. Retrieved 2021-12-05. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "سەرۆكی لیژنەی فتوا: كۆمەڵ و عەلی باپیر و داعش یەك ئامانجیان هەیە". www.wishe.net. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  7. "بۆچی حزبە ئیسلامیەكانی كوردستان بە گەڕانەوەی تاڵیبان شاگەشكە بوون؟". www.basnews.com. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  8. "عەلی باپیر: ناتوانیین رێز لە ئەی رەقیب بگرین". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  9. www.rudaw.net https://www.rudaw.net/sorani/opinion/15112013. Retrieved 13 October 2021. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. "كۆمەڵ و یەكگرتووی ئیسلامی دژی بەیاسایی كردنی سرودی(ئەی رەقیب)ن ‌". 20 May 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  11. "کامپینی ئێمە خاوەنی ئەی رەقیبین". kurdistannet.info. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
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