ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A recent agreement signed between two major Kurdish political parties, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and its breakaway Change Movement (Gorran), has motivated Islamic parties to get together and form a strong front because "now is the right time for the formation of a joint Islamic front." "Since we launched our 6th convention, one of our strategies was to have closer cooperation and workings between the Islamic parties. And this strategy faced ups and downs. But later, with our [Kurdistan Islamic League] Komal brothers, we formed a faction in the Kurdistan Provincial Councils and now is the right time for the formation of a joint Islamic front," Mustafa Abdulla, member of the Kurdistan Islamic League's politburo, told Rudaw. Tuesday’s deal between the PUK and the Change Movement (Gorran) would have in fact been nearly unimaginable only two years ago, as the two parties could not even agree on the post of governor in the city of Sulaimani, which both see as their stronghold, and now the Islamic parties aim to form a strong front, too. Three Islamic Parties in the Kurdistan Region, Kurdistan Islamic Union (Yakgrtu), Kurdistan Islamic League (Komal) and Kurdistan Islamic Movement represent Islamists in the region. However, they have not tended to have a united front as much as they do know, in the wake of the PUK-Gorran agreement. "We hope the three Islamic parties, in coordination with other Islamic figures, can emphasize unity in our political aims and ideologies," Abdulla said, adding that "We as Yakgrtu have laid the groundwork for uniting the [Islamic] factions and for closer cooperation between the Islamic parties." However, Abdulla rejects claims that the PUK-Gorran agreement encouraged them to form a united front as "even before these two parties' agreement, we had joint actions and cooperation. And now we should think of progressing and taking steps forward." A Komal senior member also believes that there is a desire for unification of the Islamic parties among Islamists in the Kurdistan Region. "There is an Islamic street desire for closeness of the Islamists. This means political development in Kurdistan, and any sort of disunity or distance between these Islamic parties would be seen as abhorrent and strange for us as Islamists. The great Allah in several verses of the holy Quran commands us to be united," Yassin Hassan, a member of the Komal political leadership, told Rudaw. Hassan added: "I do not see integration of Islamic parties at this stage necessary, but the formation of a joint Islamic front and unifying our political positions would be vital." He added that it is "the current political climate imposing on us to get closer and be more united." He also called on the leadership of the Islamic parties to punish those hindering any attempts at closeness between the Islamic parties. "We should get rid of this unexceptional situation when an irresponsible person creates rifts between the Islamic parties by their harsh comments. We should all combat them since an Islamic partnership project is much bigger than persons and groups." On the same issue, Abdulla Warti, spokesperson of the Kurdistan Islamic Movement, revealed that Islamic supporters call on the parties to unify their political claims. "The Islamic supporters call on us to unify our claims, now the environment is suitable for making an Islamic front or a three way coalition between the three Islamic parties." However, Warti explained that they did not aim to "divide Kurdistan into secular and Islamic fronts, but it is the people asking the Islamic parties to have a common vision and plan to resolve crises and problems." "We as the Islamists, expect a joint front. We as [KIM] are ready to work together all the way to integration, and this is what the Islamic street is demanding of us." The KIL, KIU and KIM have 17 seats in the Kurdistan Region parliament. The KIL and KIU have taken part in the Kurdistan Region Government's 8th cabinet and the KIM joined the opposition front with only one seat.
