Karbala Friday prayer leader calls on protesters to avoid vandalism, violence

Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i called on protesters and security forces to keep anti-government ‎demonstrations peaceful.‎

News ID: 447571

Date: 25 October 2019 - 20:26

RNA – During his Friday prayer sermon delivered to a large and fervent crowd of believers in ‎the Iraqi holy city of Karbala’s Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn, Hujjat al-Islam Abdul-Mahdi ‎al-Karbala’i said, “Real reform and change in the country has to be through peaceful ‎methods.”‎

The representative of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani in Karbala said that security forces ‎must not allow attacks on public and private property, must ensure the safety of the rallies, ‎and stay away from violence.‎

He also urged the demonstrators to avoid vandalizing the public properties, describing any ‎act of vandalism as “illegal and illegitimate.”‎

Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i said that protesters should be aware of infiltration of suspicious ‎elements, trying to exploit the rightful demands of protesters.‎

He also said that true reform is only possible through unity and cooperation.‎

Thousands of Iraqi protesters have massed near the high-security Green Zone in Baghdad in ‎a resumption of anti-government demonstrations that left more than 150 people dead earlier ‎this month.‎

The Friday rallies have also left one protester killed and 224 others wounded, according to al-‎Sumaria News, citing the High Commission for Human Rights of Iraq.‎

The fresh demonstrations come after Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi pledged more reforms ‎aimed at improving economy. The premier said people are free to exercise their right to ‎demonstrate, but violence would not be tolerated.‎

Addressing the nation on Thursday night, Abdul-Mahdi said people had the right to call for ‎the government to resign.‎

However, a collapse of the government, as some protesters have suggested, won’t help ‎improve the situation in the Arab country, he said.‎

‎“The resignation of the government today without a constitutional alternative will lead the ‎country into chaos,” he said.‎

A government committee established by Abdul-Mahdi reported on Monday that 149 civilians ‎were killed in the first round of the protests due to the use of excessive force and live bullets ‎by security officers.‎

Source: Tasnim

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