Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the country has been mired in instability, war, corruption and economic stagnation - a situation that has left many young people with little hope for their futures and or sense of purpose in their lives[…]
The Allahiyah movement, also known as the Qurban ("sacrifice") group, is thought to have formed in Basra and Dhi Qar in early 2020 and has as many as 2,500 adherents

According to local media, the head of the movement is a cleric named Abdul Ali Munim al-Hasani, currently residing in the city of Mashhad in Iran

Their initial activities sparked little attention, seemingly consisting of rituals and practices at least superficially akin to other Shia Islamic movements[…]
That began to change in 2021, when the first reports emerged of young men associated with the group hanging themselves in Husseiniyahs, buildings designed for Shia religious, spiritual and social gatherings[…]
The word Allahiyah, an amalgamation of the word Ali and divine in Arabic, stems from the same root as the Alawite and Alevi sects in Syria and Turkey due to a similar mystical veneration of Ali; neither of the other two sects, however, practice ritual suicide

"We believe that Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, is God incarnate on Earth, and that sacrifices must be offered to him in order to gain his satisfaction and forgiveness," a member[…]told HuffPost Iraq[…]
"We hold a draw among the members of the group, and whoever’s name comes up has the honour of offering himself as a sacrifice to Imam Ali, which is the highest goal of existence," they said, adding they had plans to spread their message to "young people in schools and universities" and even outside the country

They also denied rumours that they carried out murders

However, on 16 June security forces arrested an official of the movement in Dhi Qar Governorate[…]
After being interrogated he confessed to having killed two family members as "sacrifices"