|
Ayatollah Sistani Calls for Unity and Instructs Shias to Protect their Sunni Brothers |
|
|
|
|
Written by AhlulBayt Islamic Mission
|
|
Thursday, 29 November 2007 |
Iraq's top Shia cleric has renewed his call for an end to sectarian violence
in the country and for Sunni and Shia Muslims to unite.
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's calls for unity came as a group of Sunni
and Shia clerics met in the holy city of Najaf in a bid to stem violence in the
war-torn country. A delegation consisting of leading figures from the Sunni
Association of Muslim Scholars as well as prominent Sunni scholars and leaders
from across Iraq arrived at the office of Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in the southern
Iraqi city of Al-Najaf to further the cause of unity and promote collective
efforts to defuse sectarian tension within Iraq.
Under the title of "the first national conference of Shias and Sunnis" the event
kicked off Tuesday with several prominent Shia leaders including; Ayatollah Mohammad
Saeed Al-Hakim, Ayatollah Ishaq Al-Fayyadh and Ayatollah Bashir Al-Najafi, in
attendance.
Ayatollah Al-Sistani, the highest Shia authority in Iraq, called on Shia Muslims
to defend the political and social rights of the Sunnis before defending their
own rights.
"I am a servant of all Iraqis ... I love everyone as religion is love ... I
wonder how enemies could split between Islamic sects", the statement said
quoting al-Sistani.
"These meetings between the Shia and Sunni scholars are important and useful as
there are no real differences between Shias and Sunnis, yet there are
philological differences that exist even inside the same sect.
"We are united under one Kaaba, prayers and fasting.
"I am with all Iraqis when demanding their rights and will not prefer one to
another as Shias and Sunnis are equal."
Meanwhile, chief of the southern Iraq branch of the Baghdad-based Association of
Muslim Scholars Khalid Al-Mulla hailed the conference as "a new opportunity for
exchanging views and unifying the ranks of Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites." "We
believe that some major powers targeted the Iraqi national unity and used armed
groups such as Al-Qaeda, to perpetrate violent attacks against Samarra, Karbala,
Talafar and elsewhere," he added.
Sayyed Sistani also warned those in attendance to guard against the plans of the
enemies who wish to plant seeds of discord among Iraqis.
The visiting delegation voiced their full support of Sayyed Sistani's stance and announced the importance of the conference.
Comments posted are the sole opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of AIM. |
