A Kurdish politician was arrested Monday in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region, after a post on his Twitter account that was deemed insulting to Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani, authorities said.

Nayef Kurdistani "was arrested by the Kurdistan region's security forces" and is being held in custody in the Kurdish capital Arbil, the autonomous region's interior ministry said in a statement.

He stands accused of making "reprehensible remarks", after a post on his Twitter account in which the author contended that the "Persian" religious authority, among others, is not descended from the Prophet Mohammed, even if they "wear black turbans".

A black turban, when worn by Shiite clerics -- notably Sistani -- signifies direct lineage from the Prophet Mohammed.

The post has since been deleted and Kurdistani denies being the author, claiming his account had been hijacked.

Article 372 of Iraq's constitution stipulates a prison term of up to three years for insulting "a symbol or person which / who is an object of sanctification, worship or reverence".

Sistani, 91, was born in Iran and lives in the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Najaf. Shiites form a majority in Iraq.

Kurdistani ran as a parliamentary candidate for the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Iraq's 2018 elections, but failed to win a seat.

A crowd set the party's Baghdad headquarters ablaze overnight, without causing casualties.

The KDP says Kurdistani is no longer a party member.

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

In a 'dangerous' land: tourists trickle back to Iraq
Hilla, Iraq (AFP) March 27, 2022
An American tourist poses for a holiday snap in Iraq, in front of the blue-brick Ishtar Gate that was rebuilt at the ancient site of Babylon under dictator Saddam Hussein. Most foreigners here since Saddam's ouster in a 2003 US-led invasion have worn army fatigues and carried guns - but more recently there has been a trickle of camera-toting travel pioneers. "Iraq was in my top three countries," said the visitor to Babylon, 50-year-old Californian Ileana Ovalle, who was excited to see the mille ... read more