RNA – During his Friday prayer sermon delivered to a large and fervent crowd of believers in the Iraqi city of Karbala’s Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (A), Hujjat al-Islam Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbala’i discussed strategies to implement accurate reform in Iraq, saying that the sources of emulation have a political plan for the country.
His Eminence said one of the ways for politicians and government officials to successfully implement Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi’s reform plan and gain the trust of the people is to show that they are serious about the plan, especially in regard to social services and the fight against corruption.
“Once they win the confidence of the people, they can sincerely respond to their other requests as well,” he said.
The representative of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani stated that the Iraqi people have heard promises and rhetoric from their politicians and officials in the past but have never seen any positive results and have not been satisfied.
“The people do not want empty promises which sooth their emotions temporarily,” he warned.
Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i also stressed that the Iraqi people must be vigilant over the war on terrorism because victory necessitates precision and diligence.
The Iraqi cleric explained that immigration to foreign countries was a dangerous phenomenon and said that in recent years many young people have traveled to foreign countries with great difficulty, danger and hardship. In this way, some of them lost their lives or were caught by human trafficking gangs.
He added that many Iraqis have emigrated to foreign countries due to the tumultuous situation facing the country and Iraq is faced with the flight of its educated population and youth.
“When they emigrate abroad there is little hope of them improving the living conditions and economy of their country,” he said.
Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i called on officials to realize the repercussions of emigration on the country, study the phenomenon and find situations and start development plans to stimulate the private sector so that it can provide job opportunities for Iraq’s large number of unemployed youth.
His Eminence discouraged the youth from migration and called on them to think about their country and their people and have more patience and endurance. He told them to look to their countrymen in the armed forces and volunteer militias who put their lives on the line in the fight against Takfiri terrorists, saying that they are “role models for all Iraqis as they are patiently dealing with many difficulties and hardships for the sake of the homeland pride and dignity of their people.”
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