Important: The position of the Supreme Religious Authority on the current issues in the country.

The representative of the supreme religious authority read during the sermon of the Friday prayer of the 28th Jumada Ula 1441 AH corresponding to January 24, 2020, held at the holy shrine of Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him) the text received from the office of the supreme religious authority in Najaf.

His Eminence Sayed Ahmad al-Safi said: Dear brothers and sisters ... I read to you the text received from the office of his eminence Sayed al-Sistani in Najaf:

“In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

Dear brothers and sisters, we summarize for you the positions of the religious authority regarding the issues of the hour in the country, as mentioned by the office of His Eminence in Najaf:

First: The religious authority confirms its principled position on the necessity of respecting the sovereignty of Iraq, the independence of its political decision, and the unity of its land and people, and its categorical rejection of what affects these national constants from any party and under any pretext, and the citizens have complete freedom to express - in peaceful ways - their orientations in this regard, and demand what they find necessary to maintain national sovereignty away from external dictates.

Second: The religious authority also emphasizes the necessity to implement the reforms the Iraqi people have for long been demanding, and for which they have sacrificed, noting that temporization and procrastination will beget nothing but causing people more suffering and prolonging Iraq’s security and political instability.

Third: Forming the new government is long overdue for the constitutionally-prescribed period — it’s necessary that all the concerned parties cooperate to finish this case according to the fundamentals that were previously mentioned; it’s a key step towards resolving the current crisis.

The religious authority calls once again all the Iraqi parties to be aware of the risks that surround their homeland in this difficult period, and to gather their affairs on a unified stance of the main issues and the fateful challenges it faces, taking into account the higher interest of the Iraqi people present and future, and Allah is the Arbiter of Success.