ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Islamic Scholars Union (Zanayan) sent official letters to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) relevant authorities to ban “scandalous” pornographic websites which have left “negative” impact on community.
“All pornographic websites have to be suspended,” read the letter from Zanayan this week.
The letters were addressed to Kurdistan Region’s Public Prosecutor and Ministry of Transport and Communications.
They stressed the request is to “preserve moral values and the peacefulness of the community as well as the youth.”
Zanayan claimed that the lack of a censor on these websites has “negatively impacted on the youth and community,” adding that some countries have already banned such websites.
Founded in 1970 by Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the union is comprised of most of clergymen of Kurdistan Region. However, it is not affiliated to the KRG.
Laws and regulation in the Kurdistan Region are piecemeal, pulling from former and current Iraqi laws and those passed and approved by the KRG.
Telecommunications have been affected during protests. Also during exam hours, mobile internet is switched off. Political censorship is most common in the Kurdistan Region.
The KRG is currently working to form a new cabinet and is operating with a caretaker government. Recently, high-level political progress has been announced paving the way for the new cabinet to be formed.
Additionally, the Iraqi parliament passed its Fiscal Year 2019 budget on Thursday.