The great ayatollah Ali Sistani in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, March 6, 2021. (Credit: AFP archives)
During a meeting on Monday with Mohammad al-Hassani, the U.N. representative in Iraq appointed in July, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the country’s highest Shiite religious authority, highlighted several points that are, for him, crucial for protecting Iraq and ensuring a better future for the country. These included "preventing foreign interference in all its forms," "respecting the rule of law," "guaranteeing the state's monopoly on arms," and "fighting corruption." However, he also insisted that while these objectives are fundamental, "Iraqis still have a long way to go to achieve them."This visit comes a few months after the U.N. Security Council unanimously decided on May 31, at Baghdad's request, that the U.N. mission in Iraq would conclude by the end of 2025, after more than two decades of presence in the country. Moreover, Al-Hassani’s...
During a meeting on Monday with Mohammad al-Hassani, the U.N. representative in Iraq appointed in July, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the country’s highest Shiite religious authority, highlighted several points that are, for him, crucial for protecting Iraq and ensuring a better future for the country. These included "preventing foreign interference in all its forms," "respecting the rule of law," "guaranteeing the state's monopoly on arms," and "fighting corruption." However, he also insisted that while these objectives are fundamental, "Iraqis still have a long way to go to achieve them."This visit comes a few months after the U.N. Security Council unanimously decided on May 31, at Baghdad's request, that the U.N. mission in Iraq would conclude by the end of 2025, after more than two decades of presence in the country. Moreover,...