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Popular parliament should be formed in Iraq: Senior cleric

Sunday, 08 May 2016 9:52 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 08 May 2016 9:49 AM ]

Senior Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi

A senior Iraqi cleric says a popular parliament should be established in the Arab country to reinforce unity in the nation, which is fighting all-out Takfiri militancy.

Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi said on Sunday that an inclusive parliament comprising political, academic, religious and tribal figures should be formed in Iraq to hinder division and divergence in the country.

Ayatollah Modarresi also referred to the atrocities committed by Takfiri terrorist groups such as Daesh and Boko Haram in the name of religion, saying that such groups are representatives of a politicized view of Islam.

Political and religious currents in today’s Iraq act based on a democratic and non-partisan system, Modarresi said, adding that it is “principally different from” the politicized view of Islam followed by Daesh, Boko Haram and the like.

Iraqi soldiers guard a position on the frontline against Daesh terrorists near Fallujah, Anbar Province, May 3, 2016. © AFP

On Friday, the top Iraqi cleric called on politicians to refrain from politicization, revenge-seeking, ignorance of law, power-seeking, and political lobbying, saying that the only way out of the current crisis in Iraq is through understanding, cooperation and tolerance.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh began an offensive in the Arab country in June 2014.

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