Region | Iraq
Al Hakim: Federal regions solution
A prominent Shiite leader said yesterday that setting up federal regions in Iraq would solve the country's problems, adding that Shiites are being subjected to mass killings but they should not retaliate by using violence.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 January 30, 2007
- Image Credit: AP
- Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, leader of the Shiite bloc in the 275-member parliament.
Baghdad: A prominent Shiite leader said yesterday that setting up federal regions in Iraq would solve the country's problems, adding that Shiites are being subjected to mass killings but they should not retaliate by using violence.
Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, leader of the Shiite bloc in the 275-member parliament, was speaking at a Shiite mosque in central Baghdad to mark Ashura, one of the holiest days in the Shiite calendar commemorating the 7th century death of Imam Hussain.
Thousands of people dressed in black in a sign of mourning attended the ceremony at the Khulani Mosque.
"I reaffirm that the establishing of regions will help us in solving many problems that we are suffering from. Moreover, it represents the best solution for these problems," Al Hakim said. "We affirm the necessity of establishing the south and centre and Baghdad regions after the people vote on it."
Central regions south of Baghdad and the southern Iraqi provinces are predominantly Shiites and Al Hakim has called in the past for setting up the "region of the centre and the south."
Speaking about bombings that killed hundreds of Shiites in the past months in Iraq, Al Hakim blamed Sunni extremists known as takfiris and former elements of Saddam's regime. He also criticised Sunni clerics who declared that Shiites are heretics.
"We, as Iraqis and Shiites, are still being subjected to mass killings, kidnappings, displacement, destruction of infrastructure and attacks on mosques and holy shrines as well as other crimes committed by Saddamists, Bathists and their takfiri allies," the cleric said.
"We, with deep regret, still hear fatwas by the takfiris that call for the killings of millions of Iraqis. Such edicts are being issued from inside Iraq by some foreigners who entered the country illegally and also by some evil clerics in neighbouring countries," said the leader of the largest Shiite group, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Al Hakim was apparently referring to Abdullah Bin Jabrain, a key members in Saudi Arabia's clerical establishment, who earlier this month joined a chorus of other hardliners who have deemed Shiites as infidels.
"I call upon all neighbouring countries to fear God and stop the escalation in the sectarian mobilisation and take the initiative to prevent and punish those who issue edicts that call for the killing of the Shiites in Iraq," he said.
Al Hakim said Shiites should not retaliate by targeting innocent people in revenge for attacks against Shiites. He said wrongdoers should be punished according to the law.
"Today, groups of killers, takfiris and the followers of the former regime want to create sedition among us by different means. I advise all the Iraqi people to comprehend this fact and preserve their unity," he said.
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