Iraqi prime minister forbids state bodies from classifying Iraqis by sect

Mustafa al-Kadhimi's decision was prompted by an outcry over the Iraqi Military College listing new students by sectarian classification.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi (C) chairs a meeting with military commanders in Tarmiyah, 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of Baghdad on July 20, 2020. (Photo by Khalid MOHAMMED / POOL / AFP) (Photo by KHALID MOHAMMED/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (C) chairs a meeting with military commanders in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, on July 20, 2020. - KHALID MOHAMMED/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered state institutions to stop classifying Iraqis by religious sect following a social media outcry on Wednesday.

“The blood that was spilled for Iraqi soil was all the color of martyrdom and heroism,” said Kadhimi’s office in a tweet. “Their classification was not asked."

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