Five complaints have been filed against Qasim Shasho, the commander of the Peshmerga forces in Shingal (Sinjar), on charges of insulting Islam and the Prophet of Islam, which he denies, insisting his message was only for an extremist group.
Qasim Shasho, the commander of the Yazidikhan Peshmarga Forces in Shingal, delivered a speech at the Sharafaddin shrine on the 10th anniversary of the attack of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on Shingal and the Ezidis. He said, “As long as Mohammed and his religion exist, attacks and massacres against Ezidis will continue,” sparking wide protests on social media platforms.
Five lawsuits were filed against Shasho in the Duhok court on Tuesday alone, including the Duhok Endowment and Religious Affairs, the prosecutor general and ordinary people.
"Some of the clerics have also filed complaints. We will take legal action against him according to the Iraqi Penal Code," Bahadin Dashtani, a lawyer in the Duhok court, told KirkukNow.
According to the lawyer, Shasho should be arrested first and then tried.
The commander of the Peshmerga forces in Shingal, did not deny his statements in the framework of his speech after the complaint was filed against him, but told KirkukNow, “Some people, especially Kurds, have misrepresented my words. It was for an extremist group," he added.
"I am not talking about all Muslims. We have been dealing with Muslims for hundreds of years. How can I disrespect them?”
I am not talking about all Muslims. We have been dealing with Muslims for hundreds of years
“I did not insult Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam, in my speech. I do not mention any prophet. It is not in my morals... Our president is Mr. Massoud Barzani and Mr. Nechirvan is the president of the Kurdistan Region. How we disrespect their Prophet if we consider them our leaders?”
"They have brought this issue up against me. They are extremists and Kurds," he said, adding that he was aware of the lawsuits filed against him.
According to Article 372 of the Iraqi Penal Code, anyone who openly insults one of the religions and its sacred places, or insults a sacred figure of the religion, is punishable by imprisonment for not less than one year and not more than three years.
Shasho's speech marked the 10th anniversary of attack on Shingal, home for the non-Muslim Ezidi community, on August 3, 2014 by IS extremist militants who took 6,417 Ezidis into slavery, including women and children.
In the same attack, 1,293 Ezidis were killed, 68 shrines were destroyed and over 80 mass graves have been discovered.
"We will be pushing until Qasim Shasho is punished," said Dashtani, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
"My statement did not insult the Prophet of Islam (Mohammed) because the Ezidi religion forbids insulting prophets and good men of all religions and beliefs," Shasho said in a statement.
