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Explosion at Sulaimani mosque targets controversial preacher, slightly injures five
 [RUDAW.NET] An kaboom has been reported at Sulaimani's Bahasht mosque where Dr. Abdul Latif, a controversial Salafi preacher, was preaching. At least five people have been injured."A hand grenade was thrown into the courtyard of Bahasht mosque in Ibrahim Ahmed neighborhood at 9:10 pm, June 16, 2017. Three people were lightly injured in the attack. Asayesh forces arrived at the scene of the event and started their investigations. We will inform the public after we find a lead. We wish a quick recovery to the injured," reads a statement from the Sulaimani Asayesh, security forces. The hand grenade was thrown when Latif was leaving the mosque for his house located next to the mosque, Latif told Rudaw after he received treatment in his house for injuries he sustained from the attack, described as "light." He soon returned to the mosque to say his Ramadan prayers with members of his congregation, in a defiant message. The motive for the attack on the mosque is not known at this time. Latif told Rudaw that it may have to do with his anti-ISIS stance. "When you defend your people, the Peshmerga, and [make remarks] against terrorists, surely you will pay the price," Latif said, adding that he has been receiving threats from the ISIS group via its social media channels. He seems to have been the target of the attack as the bomb was thrown at the Islamic preacher. He said he heard a sound and then saw the grenade before it went kaboom!. "I do not have any personal problems myself, thanks to God," Latif told news hounds from within the mosque after the attack, "But we always hear ISIS threats, and just yesterday I was talking about ISIS on one of the media outlets. I think this could be the reason." He said he remains committed to his public stance that what ISIS is doing is not "Islam," but rather aimed at conveying a bad image of the religion. He also said that about three years ago he asked security forces in Sulaimani to provide security for his mosque and an Islamic channel he owns, but the security forces have not done so. He has a satellite channel called Amozhgari or Preaching that focuses on teaching the Salafi version of Sunni Islam. Posted by: Fred 2017-06-27 |
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