The Kurdistan Islamic Group

The Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG), also known as the Islamic Group, was a splinter group of the Islamic Unity Movement of Kurdistan (IUMK). It was formed by Ali Bapir in 2001. The KIG follows a radical Wahabi ideology and seeks to establish Shariah law throughout Iraq. Though the KIG defines itself as a non-violent Salafi movement, it has clashed violently with Ansar al-Islam in the areas surrounding its headquarters in Khormal. The KIG is a recognized political party in Iraq and is currently one of the two largest Kurdish Islamist parties in the country. In the 2005 Iraqi parliamentary elections, the KIG won 2 seats in the National Assembly. The group also won 6 seats in the Iraqi Kurdistan legislative elections that took place on the same day. In the 2009 Iraqi Kurdistan legislative elections, the group joined the Service and Reform List coalition, which came in third in the election, winning 13 seats out of 111. Subsequently, the KIG won two seats in the 2010 Iraqi parliamentary elections, 6 seats in the 2013 Iraqi Kurdistan legislative elections, and three seats in the 2014 Iraqi parliamentary elections.