The Supreme Religious Authority: What happened in Kirkuk is not a victory for one party at the expense of another, but a victory for all Iraqis.

The Supreme Religious Authority considered that what happened recently in the province of Kirkuk should not be considered a victory for one party at the expense of another, but a victory for all Iraqis if it is employed for the country's interests without personal or factional interests and to be taken as a starting point to open a new page in which everyone stands together to build their country and its prosperity.

These were the important points stated in the second sermon of Friday prayer of the 29th of Muharram 1439 AH corresponding to the October 20, 2017 held in the holy shrine of Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him) and led by Sheikh Abd al-Mahdi al-Karbala'i, in which he highlighted several points:

1- Everyone knows the latest developments in the political and security arena, and the deployment of the Iraqi army and the federal police in the province of Kirkuk and some other areas. And we would like to express our high appreciation of the good behavior of the various parties to complete this process peacefully and avoid armed clash between the dear brothers, who worked side by side in the fight against the ISIL terrorism.

2- We would like to emphasize that this important event should not be considered a victory for one side at the expense of the other one, but it is a victory for all Iraqis if used for the country's interests without personal or factional interests and to be taken as a starting point to open a new page in which everyone stands together to build their country and its prosperity.

3- The Iraqis' fate, with their various components of Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and others, to live together with each other on this cherished land.

4- The Iraqis have no chance to build a better tomorrow in which they enjoy security, stability, prosperity and well-being unless with converging efforts of everyone to solve the accumulated problems over the years, based on the foundations of justice and equality of all Iraqis in the rights and duties and to build confidence between them away from authoritarian tendencies and ethnic or sectarian control, and the adoption of the Constitution, which despite the shortcomings , was accepted by most Iraqis when the referendum. So its articles and clauses must be respected unless amended in accordance with the mechanism provided for therein.

5- We appeal to all, especially political leaders and elites, to strengthen national cohesion on constitutional grounds and to strengthen bonds of love among the Iraqi people by ensuring the interests of all without exception, avoiding retaliation based on the recent events.

6- We call on easing tension in common areas, facilitating the return of displaced persons to their homes and preserving public and private properties and preventing encroachment on them.

7- Suppressing any manifestations that suggest racism or sectarianism, whether by publishing video or audio clips or raising banners, launching slogans, burning pictures or flags, etc.

8- We call on the concerned bodies to take the appropriate measures to prosecute those who carry out these immoral acts that harm the civil peace and coexistence of the people of this country.

9- We also call on the federal government to do more to reassure the Kurdish citizens that they will use all their energies in order to protect and care them on an equal footing with the rest of the Iraqis and will not undermine their constitutional rights.

10- We call on the Kurdish leaders to unite their ranks and work to overcome the current crisis through cooperation with the federal government on the constitutional bases, hoping that this will lead to fair and convincing solutions to all.