View source for Kurdistan Islamic Union

{{Infobox political party
| name             = Kurdistan Islamic Union
| native_name      = یەکگرتووی ئیسلامیی کوردستان <br /> Yekgirtuy Islami Kurdistan
| colorcode        = {{party color|Kurdistan Islamic Union}}
| logo             = Etihad logo.jpg
| leader           = [[Salaheddine Bahaaeddin]]
| foundation       = {{start date|1994}}
| ideology         = {{Nowrap|[[Kurdish Islamism]] <br />[[Islamic democracy]]<br />[[Kurdish nationalism]]}}
| position         = [[Right-wing]]
| international    = [[Muslim Brotherhood]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.net/knowledgegate/opinions/2004/10/3/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA#3|title=الإخوان المسلمون في العراق وثنائية الخيارات|website=Aljazeera.net|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref>
| colors           = {{color box|{{party color|Kurdistan Islamic Union}}|border=darkgray}} [[Brown]]
| native_name_lang = ku
| headquarters     = [[Erbil]]
| seats1_title     = Seats in the [[Council of Representatives of Iraq]]:
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|0|328|hex={{party color|Kurdistan Islamic Union}}}}
| seats2_title     = Seats in the [[Kurdistan Parliament]]
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|5|111|hex={{party color|Kurdistan Islamic Union}}}}
| website          = {{official URL}}
| country          = Iraq
}}
'''Kurdistan Islamic Union''' ({{lang-ku|یەکگرتووی ئیسلامیی کوردستان ;Yekgirtiya Îslamî ya Kurdistanê}}), colloquially referred to as '''Yekgirtû''', is an [[Islamist]] party in Iraqi [[Kurdistan]].

==Leadership and supporters==
[[Salaheddine Bahaaeddin]] cofounded the Kurdistan Islamic Union<ref>{{cite news |title=Iraq: a "quota" Council |url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3038957/Iraq-a-quota-Council-the.html |work=[[The Middle East (magazine)|The Middle East]] |date=1 August 2003 |access-date=2 October 2010 |url-access=subscription  }}</ref> on February 6, 1994. In the first General Conference he was elected as the Secretary General of the party. Later, in the second, the third, and the fourth Conferences he was also elected as the Secretary General. Later succeeded by Hadi Ali, and Mohammed Faraj, in 2016 he was again elected Secretary-General.<ref>{{cite news |title=KIU elects Salahaddin Bahaddin as new Secretary-General |agency=[[Kurd Press]] |url=http://www.kurdpress.com/En/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=13340 |date=29 May 2016 |access-date=31 May 2016}}</ref>

KIU professes non-violence, and supports the [[Islamic Kurdish League]], which provides services to the poor. It is also represented on the Iraqi Governing Council.

The party is chiefly active among students (reportedly winning nearly 40% of the vote in [[Dahuk, Iraq|Dahuk]] University student elections), but also has a base of adult political supporters, particularly in the city of [[Erbil]]. It also enjoys good relations with both the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]] and the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party]].

==2005 elections==
In the [[January 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election]], the Kurdistan Islamic Union was part of a broad coalition of Kurdish parties, the [[Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan]]. However, in November 2005, the KIU withdrew from this coalition and announced that it would run separately from the other major Kurdish groups in the [[December 2005 Iraqi legislative election]]. Running independently on an agenda of "reform and services", the KIU declared that pluralism in Kurdistan is not practiced, and that voters should vote for the political party of their choice

In response to the KIU pulling out from the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Islamic Union office was the target of riots and protest by 3,000–5,000 people, mainly members of [[Kurdistan Democratic Party]] organizations. During the protest, the phrase "Long Live 730" was written on the office's walls. 730 is the "numerical ballot designation for the political alliance led by Iraq's two largest Kurdish parties, the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party]] (KDP) and the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/13/AR2005121302119.html|title=For Kurds, A Surge Of Violence In Campaign|first=Jonathan|last=Finer|date=14 December 2005|access-date=2 October 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

The riots resulted in the deaths of 4 members of KIU, including one member of the KIU leadership, after their offices in [[Duhok]], [[Zakho]] and several other areas were exposed to gunfire after police and security forces supported the protesters instead of protecting KIU offices.

In the [[December 2005 Iraqi legislative election|December 2005 elections]], the party won 1.3% of the vote and 5 out of 275 seats.

==December 2011 violence==
{{Main|2011 Dohuk riots}}
On December 2, 2011, after Friday prayers, unknown persons rampaged through the city of [[Zakho]] attacking liquor stores, beauty salons, a Chinese massage parlor, and several hotels. The sale of alcohol in Iraq is often the preserve of Christians and Yezidis, who were disproportionate victims of the arson attacks. The violence quickly spread throughout the [[Bahdinan]] area of Iraqi Kurdistan, to nearby [[Dohuk, Iraq|Dohuk]], and eventually as far as way as the south-eastern city of [[Sulaymaniyah]]. At least 30 people were injured.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-12-03/riot-zahko-iraq/51611328/1|title=Sermons spark riots in Iraqi Kurdish city|website=Usatoday.com|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref>
Government spokesmen for the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party]] blamed the violence on a cleric associated with the Kurdistan Islamic Union. But the KIU and the cleric himself refuted these allegations.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/?pageid=91438 |title = The Zakho's Preacher: I Hate KIU and Fried of KDP |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415082203/http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/?pageid=91438 |archive-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/?pageid=91213 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-12-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405092319/http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/?pageid=91213 |archive-date=2012-04-05 }}</ref> The KIU has a strong support base in the region - although not as strong as the KDP. Subsequent to the attacks, KDP supporters set fire to more than four KIU political and media offices throughout the [[Bahdinan]] area of [[Kurdistan Region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2011/12/state5645.htm|title=Arsons spread across Iraq's Kurdistan region|website=Ekurd.net|access-date=2 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kurdiu.org/ar/hawal/index.php?pageid=91770 |title = سكرتير المكتب السياسي للحزب الديمقراطي الكوردستاني لا ينكر مشاركة أعض… |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415053916/http://www.kurdiu.org/ar/hawal/index.php?pageid=91770 |archive-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/?pageid=91669 |title = A Video Uncovers Armed KDP Security Attacks Zakho Center of KIU |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415100250/http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/?pageid=91669 |archive-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|ku}}
{{Iraqi political parties}}
{{Kurdistan National Assembly}}
{{Kurdish nationalist organisations}}
{{Iraqi Kurdistan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 establishments in Iraq]]
[[Category:Islamic political parties in Iraq]]
[[Category:Kurdish Islamic organisations]]
[[Category:Kurdish Islamism]]
[[Category:Kurdish nationalist political parties]]
[[Category:Kurdish political parties in Iraq]]
[[Category:Muslim Brotherhood]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1994]]
[[Category:Political parties in Kurdistan Region]]
[[Category:Sunni Islamic political parties]]