Baghdad provincial council votes to retire governor, he calls decision illegal
The source also indicated that during the same session, the council discussed the issue of audio leaks with a 'spyware nature' and voted to hold all those involved or negligent accountable.
In response, Baghdad Governor Abdul Muttalib Al-Alawi issued a clarification regarding the decision to refer him to retirement and the audio leaks. Al-Alawi stated that the Baghdad Provincial Council's decision to retire him was made during an extraordinary session, noting that this matter was not on the agenda nor was it voted on for inclusion. He emphasized that the council's internal regulations do not permit discussing any topics outside the agenda during extraordinary sessions, rendering the decision against him lacking formal and legal legitimacy.
Al-Alawi highlighted that since assuming responsibility for Baghdad Governorate, he has faced repeated attempts to remove him through retirement, totaling ten attempts so far, all under the pretext of reaching the legal age. He clarified that he was elected Governor of Baghdad by a unanimous vote of the current 52 members of the Provincial Council in a session held in January 2024, at which point he was already retired. He also asserted that the law does not specify an upper age limit for those appointed to the position of governor.
He affirmed his commitment to legal and professional responsibility and public service, stating he would resort to legal mechanisms outlined in Law No. 21 of 2008 concerning governorates not organized into regions and its amendments, by challenging the decision before the competent judicial authorities.
Regarding the recent audio leaks, Al-Alawi confirmed that as the capital's governor, he operates according to professional legal and administrative principles and has never used any illegal methods under any circumstances. He clarified he has no connection to those leaks, whether they are true or false, and has directed the formation of an official investigative committee according to administrative and legal procedures to follow up on the matter.
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"Lā ilāha illā Allāh, a-l-Kurdī ʿaduw Allāh [There is no god but Allah, the Kurd is the enemy of Allah]" has become a popular sectarian and racist slogans chanted by supporters of Al-Sharaa.[8] Ethnic discrimination policies against Kurds have reached alarming levels. On July 21, 2025, Kurdish youths were arrested in Damascus for speaking Kurdish in public.[9] Between July 19-22, 2025, at least 25 Kurds, including underage girls, were abducted by Syrian government forces.[10] These anti-Kurd campaigns are widely seen as a preparatory stage for a military attack against the Kurds. By portraying Kurds as foreigners, saboteurs, Zionist agents, and enemies of the state, Syria and Turkey seek to rally around Arab and Turkic takfiri groups. Declaring Kurds "enemies of God" provides religious legitimacy for their murder and sexual enslavement. If the Syrian regime forces manage to occupy the Kurdish region, a full-scale genocide of Kurds and Christians is to follow in northern Syria. Turkey's Neo-Ottoman Ambitions: "The Road to Jerusalem Goes Through Damascus" The fall of Assad has effectively eliminated the influence of Iran and Russia in Syria, but it has conversely opened the door for Turkey to take control of the country and implement its neo-Ottoman colonial policies. Turkey's end goal is not a peaceful and prosperous Syria, but rather a centralized regime controlled by Ankara, which it can use as a launchpad to target Israel and destabilize the Middle East. While the Shiite "Axis of Resistance" led by Iran has been largely weakened, a new Sunni "Axis of Resistance" led by Turkey and funded by Qatar is emerging in Syria, which is, in the long run, anti-American, anti-Western, and anti-Israeli. Before the fall of Assad, the Kurdish forces were a major obstacle to IRGC expansionism in Syria due to their geographical position. Similarly, they are now a major obstacle for Turkey and Qatar's ambitions to form a Sunni coalition hostile to American and Israeli interests. Conclusion: Kurds And Other Minorities Demand Federalism In a recent interview U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack claimed, "I think all of the minority communities are smart enough to say, 'We're better off together, centralized.'"[11] This statement contradicts the consistent demands from minorities – Kurds, Alawites, Druzes, and Christians – for a decentralized, federal system, and an end to authoritarianism. Al-Sharaa's reliance on sectarian, extremist policies, have led to bloodbaths in large parts of Syria. As president of Syria, he has failed to meet U.S. expectations: Rather than guiding the country toward stability, his government has intensified repression against minorities and increased sectarian violence across Syria. Therefore, a new U.S. Syria policy is needed to prevent further sectarian and ethnic bloodshed, to prioritize a federal system that gives communities control over their regions. On top of that, Turkey must be prevented from dominating Syria and use it a staging ground to destabilize the region and undermine U.S. interests. The U.S. must continue to support the Kurds in Northern Syria who control around 30 percent of the country. If the U.S. abandons the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition, it will not only betray a loyal partner, it will also lose its foothold in Syria and risk the creation of an anti-American Sunni "Axis of Resistance." *Himdad Mustafa is special advisor to MEMRI's Kurdish Studies Project.
