Iraq’s Leading Shiite Cleric Calls for Public Support of Iran

(MENAFN) Iraq’s foremost Shiite religious leader issued a fatwa on Sunday, declaring that showing popular backing for and unity with Iran in the current context is a “collective duty.”

The religious ruling, delivered by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani—recognized as the preeminent Shiite authority for millions both in Iraq and globally—emerges amid mounting tensions in the region surrounding the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Sistani’s directive called on Muslims to assemble in public spaces and streets in demonstrations endorsing Iran and the Islamic system. He emphasized that preserving the stability of the Islamic framework and countering what he termed “division conspiracies” necessitates a “broad public presence and popular solidarity in the public squares,” framing this as a shared religious responsibility.

The fatwa responded to an inquiry posed to Sistani concerning the religious perspective on gathering in mosques and public areas to confront acts of sabotage and schemes aimed at weakening the pillars and institutions of the Islamic system. Its objectives, he noted, include breaking the atmosphere of despair, averting the destruction of public property and moral decline, undermining adversaries’ expectations, and reinforcing the principles of the Islamic Revolution while averting disorder during these sensitive times.

Beyond the religious domain, Sistani wields considerable symbolic and leadership influence. In 2014, his fatwa mobilized hundreds of thousands of Iraqi youth to combat the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist organization, resulting in the creation of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which provided significant support to the Iraqi military.

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