The 2011 Duhok riots refers to riots which began on December 2, 2011 in the

Duhok Governorate ar, محافظة دهوك , image_skyline = Collage_of_Dohuk_Governorate.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_seal = ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. They were instigated by

Friday prayers In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...

' sermons by Ismail Osman Sindai, a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

, calling for attacks against stores selling alcohol and massage parlours in

Zakho Zakho, also spelled Zaxo ( ku, زاخۆ, Zaxo, syr, ܙܵܟ݂ܘܿ, Zākhō, , ) is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, at the centre of the eponymous Zakho District of the Dohuk Governorate, located a few kilometers from the Iraq–Turkey bo ...

. The riots soon developed into the looting and burning down of

Assyrian Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire * Assyrian ...

- and

Yazidi Yazidis or Yezidis (; ku, ئێزیدی, translit=Êzidî) are a Kurmanji-speaking endogamous minority group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The majo ...

-owned properties in other towns in the governorate, causing four million dollars of damage. The riots ended after

Kurdistan Regional Government The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ( ku, حکوومەتی هەرێمی کوردستان, ''Hikûmetî Herêmî Kurdistan'') is the official executive body of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. The cabinet is selected by the m ...

security forces intervened and began a massive crackdown on demonstrators. As a result of the riots, a group of secular Kurds attacked a number of buildings belonging to the

Kurdistan Islamic Union Kurdistan Islamic Union ( ku, یەکگرتووی ئیسلامیی کوردستان ;Yekgirtiya Îslamî ya Kurdistanê), colloquially referred to as Yekgirtû, is an Islamist party in Iraqi Kurdistan. Leadership and supporters Salahaddin Bahaaddi ...

party.

Background

Assyrian personalities in the region had been wary of the changes of the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in T ...

, particularity the rise of radical Islamism. The riots started in

, the northernmost town of Iraq, located close to the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

border. The town has a majority

population with a sizeable

and

minority.

Friday events

The small riots were instigated by Friday sermons in the northern city of

after Muslim clerics called for the destruction of stores that sold alcohol in the city on December 2, 2011. Angry youth mobs attacked

- and

-owned businesses such as stores, hotels, casinos, and massage parlors in the northern town of

. The violence spilled into nearby towns of

Duhok Duhok ( ku, دهۆک, translit=Dihok; ar, دهوك, Dahūk; syr, ܒܝܬ ܢܘܗܕܪܐ, Beth Nohadra) is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It's the capital city of Duhok Governorate. History The city's origin dates back to the Stone ...

and Semel. Many Assyrian social clubs and homes were also attacked throughout the province. Angry Kurdish pro-government supporters that belonged to the

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK; ku, یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستان, translit=Yekîtiya Nîştimanî ya Kurdistanê) is a political party active in Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories in Iraq. The PUK describe ...

and

Kurdistan Democratic Party The Kurdistan Democratic Party ( ku, Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê; پارتی دیموکراتی کوردستان), usually abbreviated as KDP or PDK, is the largest party in Iraqi Kurdistan and the senior partner in the Kurdistan Regional Gov ...

suspected

Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...

-inspired

(KIU)

clerics Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

to be behind the violence and attacked offices of the Islamic party in Duhok and

Erbil Erbil, also called Hawler (, ar, أربيل, Arbīl; syr, ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, Arbel), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It lies in the Erbil Governorate. It has an estimated population of around 1,600,000. Hu ...

overnight. However, in an official statement, the KIU denied any connections to the riots. The riots ended three days later with the strong response from the

Kurdistan Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...

Regional Government.

Targets

Riots began in Zakho but quickly expanded to Semel, Duhok and surrounding Assyrian villages. ::''December 2 Targets:'' *30 stores that sold alcohol, 4 hotels, 1 massage parlor, a number of hair salons, cafeterias, and a Catholic

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

in Zakho. *The Assyrian Nohadra Social Club in Duhok was attacked by a mob of 200 people, causing damage worth 50,000 dollars *The Yazidi Health Club in Duhok *The Wan Restaurant in Semel *A bar and a tourist hotel in

Zawita Zawita ( ar, زاويتة, ku, زاویته, translit=Zawîte) is a town in the Dohuk Governorate, Kurdistan Region in Iraq. The name of the town is thought to come from the Syriac word for "corner." The town is inhabited mainly by Kurds and the ...

that led to the arrest of 32 people. ::''December 3 Targets:'' *A group of 100 local Islamists attacked the Assyrian Saint Daniel Church and many Christian homes in Mansouriyah early in the morning. Locals claim young students were instigated by teachers. *Homes in the village of Sheoz ::''December 4 Targets'' *Three shops that sold alcohol were set on fire by a mob of 20 in the Assyrian village of Deralok *A store that sold alcohol was shot with an automatic weapon in Duhok ::''December 5 Targets'' *Shops that sold alcohol were burned down by mobs in

Koy Sanjaq Koy Sanjaq, also called Koye ( ku, کۆیە, Koye, ar, كويسنجق, he, כוי סנג’ק, syr, ܟܘܝܐ) is a town and district in Erbil Governorate in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. In the town, there is a Chaldean Catholic Church, Chaldean Cath ...

*Massage parlor burned in

Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah, also spelled as Slemani ( ku, سلێمانی, Silêmanî, ar, السليمانية, as-Sulaymāniyyah), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, not far from the Iran–Iraq border. It is surrounded by the Azmar, Go ...

*Previously burned shops in Zakho were pasted with flyers threatening to burn down any shop that decides to reopen

Aftermath

On December 3, the Kurdish intelligence agency Asaish arrested 20 KIU members of parliament and high officials within the party.قوات الاسايش تعتقل قيادات في الاتحاد الاسلامي ومنهم النائب نجيب عبدالله
/ref> The

President of Iraqi Kurdistan The President of Kurdistan Region is the head of the autonomous region in northern Iraq. They are part of the Kurdistan Presidency Council. The current President of Kurdistan Region is Nechirvan Barzani, who assumed office on 10 June 2019. 1992 ...

Masoud Barzani Masoud Barzani ( ku, ,مه‌سعوود بارزانی, translit=Mesûd Barzanî}; born 16 August 1946) is a Kurdish politician who has been leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, and was President of the Kurdistan Region o ...

ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the event. In an official press release, he stated: "I condemn both these unlawful acts. I call on the people of the Kurdistan Region to preserve our traditions of ethnic and religious co-existence. I have ordered the formation of a committee to look into these disturbances and bring to justice those responsible."

References

External links

Video of the Riots — Burning and destruction of places selling drinks and massageVideo of the Riots 2 — Clashes between youths and security forces in ZakhoVideo of the Riots 3 — Zakho after demonstrations and vandalism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duhok Riots Protests in Iraq 2011 in Iraqi Kurdistan Duhok Zakho 2011 riots 2011 in Iraq Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) Persecution of Yazidis in Iraq Persecution of Assyrians in Iraq