Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani, has warned that “foreign influence” in the upcoming national elections could undermine the country’s ability to carry out a free and fair vote.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani‘s message, delivered by his representative Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai during Friday prayers in Karbala, emphasizes that Iraq’s Shiite religious leadership does not support any one candidate or party.
Ayatollah Sistani is also calling on all Iraqis to vote in the elections, scheduled for May 12, but says votes should not be award to Iraqi officials currently in office who have proven to be ineffective or corrupt.
Ayatollah Sistani is one of the most respected voices in Iraq and after a fatwa he issued in 2014 that mobilized thousands to fight the Islamic State group, he launched a campaign against government corruption.
Some 21 million Iraqis have registered to vote in next week’s elections, and will be electing 320 candidates out of a pool of around 7,000 candidates.
