Karbala Friday prayer leader warns of enemy plot seeking to create civil strife, bring back ‎‎‘era of dictatorship’‎

Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i, has warned that enemies of Iraq and affiliated groups in the ‎country are plotting to create internal strife and bring the country back to the “era of ‎dictatorship”, an apparent reference to the former rule of Saddam Hussein. ‎

News ID: 447808

Date: 29 November 2019 - 23:52

RNA – Addressing worshipers during Friday prayers in the holy city of Karbala, Hujjat al-Islam ‎Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbala’i, the representative of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani in ‎Karbala, urged protesters to prevent attacks on people and their property and distance ‎themselves from those committing such acts.‎

‎“It is imperative on peaceful demonstrators that they separate their ranks from non-peaceful ‎individuals and cooperate on shunning saboteurs - whoever they are - and not allow them to ‎abuse peaceful protests to damage and attack the property of citizens,” he said on behalf of Ayatollah al-Sistani.

‎“The enemies and their levers, in order to achieve their malicious goals, plan to spread chaos ‎and plunge the country into internal strife and then return it to dictatorship, so everyone ‎must work together to take away this opportunity from them,” Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i ‎added. ‎

The remarks come two days after rioters, who have been wreaking havoc in various parts of ‎Iraq over the past weeks by infiltrating peaceful protests against corruption and poverty, ‎stormed and set fire to Iran’s diplomatic mission in Najaf.‎

Observers have expressed concern that the incident is part of a larger US-backed push to ‎destabilize the country.‎

A few months ago, the Lebanese Arabic-language daily newspaper al-Akhbar reported that ‎Iraqi security sources have uncovered a plan seeking to install a military strongman favored ‎by the US by creating a power vacuum in the country.‎

The current provocations come amid two months of widespread economic protects and calls ‎for political reform in Iraq.‎

Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i urges PMs to review ‎

In his Friday sermon, Hujjat al-Islam al-Karbala’i also called on “the Iraqi Council of ‎Representatives [parliament], which the current government originates from, to review its ‎options, given the difficult circumstances of the country and the apparent inability of the ‎relevant parties to deal with the recent two-month-long developments in protecting rights ‎and preventing bloodshed.”‎

The council, he said, “is invited to act in the best interests of Iraq and protect the blood of ‎Iraq’s children and prevent the country from slipping into a cycle of violence, chaos and ‎destruction.”‎

He further called on the parliament to “accelerate the adoption of a set of electoral laws ‎meeting people’s demands as a prelude to a free and fair election that correctly reflects the ‎will of the Iraqi people.”‎

‎“Any delay and procrastination in moving along this path which is the proper aperture to get ‎through the current crisis in a peaceful and civilized way under the protection of the ‎constitution will cost the country dearly and bring regret to everyone,” Hujjat al-Islam al-‎Karbala’i added.‎

Over 300 people have been killed in the Iraq unrest since October 1, according to the Iraqi ‎parliament’s human rights commission.‎

Earlier this month, Iraqi Defence Minister Najah al-Shammari told France 24’s Arabic-language ‎channel that a “third party” was behind shootings targeting demonstrators.‎

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