ISIL Atrocities in Iraq Aimed at Fomenting Ethnic Discord: Police Chief
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s police chief warned that enemies of Islam are trying to create rift among Muslims by sponsoring terrorists in Iraq, arguing that contrary to some claims, members of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group do not comply with the Islamic teachings.
“What is taking place in Iraq today by enemies is aimed at fueling ethnic discord, while the Shiite and Sunni clerics' vigilance would be a factor in countering those seditions,” Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi Moqaddam said in Iran’s western province of Kermanshah on Sunday.
He rejected terrorists' claims about supporting Sunni Muslims in Iraq, and stated that it is now obvious that the ISIL terrorists have nothing to do with the Sunni Muslims because of the numerous criminal acts they have committed in Iraq’s Sunni-dominated areas.
The commander warned that the ISIL activities in Iraq are part of a plot masterminded by the enemies to “damage the image of Islam” in the world, but emphasized that “the Iraqi religious leaders, elites and people” could thwart that plot by exercising vigilance.
In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, ISIL seized control of most parts of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq, its surrounding Nineveh province. ISIL militants have been in control of Fallujah city since December.
The terrorists’ attacks have reportedly forced more than half a million people in and around Mosul, the capital of Nineveh Province, to flee their homes. The Takfiri (extremist) militants have vowed to march toward the capital, Baghdad.
Meantime, nearly 1.5 million Iraqis have volunteered to join battles against the al-Qaeda-linked militants shortly after senior religious and political leaders called on the nation to take up arms and defend their country against militants. The volunteers consist of people from all walks of life including retired officers.