Ayatollah Sistani rejects agreeing on Basra federal region

Rasa - In a statement released by the office of Ayatollah Sistani, the prominent Ayatollah categorically denied the allegations that he has agreed on declaration of the province of Basra as an autonomous region.

News ID: 1882

Date: 24 December 2014 - 15:03

RNA - Ayatollah Sistani's office in a statement on Tuesday announced that he has never agreed with setting up autonomous region, including Basra region, in Iraq and all the news in this regard are fabricated.

The remarks came days after former Iraqi Member of Parliament Wael Abdel Latif claimed he had a letter obtained from Ayatollah Sistani’s office showing ayatollah Sistani’s consent regarding the declaration of the southern province of Basra as a federal region.

The prominent leader of Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani categorically rejected the allegations as “baseless.”

In October, Ayatollah Sistani met with the country's prime minister in a sign of support for his newly-formed government and its struggle against the ISIL terrorist group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met Ayatollah Sistani at Ayatollah Sistani's residence in Najaf province.

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