RNA – Speaking during his class at Qom’s Grand Mosque on Wednesday, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi referred to the developments in the Middle East and said that the September 25th independence referendum in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region is an issue of concern and added that this issued doesn’t serves the interests of the region.
The revered source of emulation added, “I would like to offer a friendly advice to the Iraqi Kurdish brothers. My impression is that they entered this issue without studying the issue because everyone who studies this issue knows that the independence of the Iraqi Kurdistan is an impossible issue and is just a dream.”
Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi continued, “Because, firstly, the central government of Iraq will not allow the country to be easily divided and tomorrow, yet another group will divide another part of the country and therefore, we will resist at all cost to defend Iraq’s territorial integrity.”
His Eminence noted, “On the other hand, the only group that supported the referendum was the Zionist regime and we know that during the [pro-independence] marches in Kurdistan, the flag of Israel was in the hands of the people. Therefore, by supporting this referendum, Israel wants to establish Kurdistan as base for itself in this region.”
He added, “If independence is achieved, it is ultimately desirable for the Zionists and if it does not happen and Kurdistan destroyed by conflicts, it is also desirable for them. Undoubtedly, the United States is also behind this issue, although it does not declare such a stance publically.”
Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi stressed, “We know that Iran will never allow the establishment of a base by Israel or its allies on its borders at any price and will stand against it in all respects.”
He added, “On the other hand, Turkey is a powerful country that is a neighbour of Iraq and it is sensitive to the problem of the Kurds because of the fact that a large Kurdish minority live in Turkey and it is never willing to allow its own territory to be divided. Because the disintegration of Iraq is also spreading to Turkey, they will stand against the Kurds will all their might.”
Explaining how such a referendum could succeed, the revered Iranian cleric said, “They should either return from their plan or resist and God forbid, if there is no conflict, Iraqi Kurdistan will become ruinous.”
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi stressed, “We hope that the Iraqi Kurdish brothers will solve their problems by negotiating with the central government and never think about dividing Iraq, which is impossible.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government held a non-binding referendum on September 25 on secession from the central government in Baghdad in defiance of Iraq’s stiff opposition.
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