Don't fight Allies, says Ayatollah Apr 3 2003
By Lesley Richardson, PA News
A leading Iraqi Shiite Muslim has urged Iraqis to remain neutral and not fight the invading Allied troops, a UK Shiite charity said tonight.
Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has urged Iraqis not to take sides and to stay in their homes in and around the Shiite holy shrine of Najaf, according to the Al Khoei Foundation in north London.
Ridwan Al-Killidar, manager of Al Khoei in London, said its sources in Najaf had reported two fatwas issued by the Ayatollah.
Mr Al-Killidar said: "One of them urges people not to vandalise public property.
"The second one hasn't been confirmed but people have heard that Ali Sistani has urged people to be neutral, not to take sides and stay in their homes. This is what we have heard but the form of a fatwa, we haven't seen yet."
Grand Ayatollahs are the highest authorities in Shiite Islam and Sistani is the only one in Iraq.
"Some of the Shiite Muslims in Iraq and Britain and elsewhere were worried about what stance to take in this conflict," said Mr Al-Killidar.
"This will help. Being neutral and not interfering will help a lot of people and will make a lot of people happy because it will save lives in Najaf.
"Being neutral will keep them out of harm's way."
Sistani is the supreme religious authority at the al-Hawza al-Ilmiyya theological school in Najaf and had been under house arrest on President Hussein's orders since 1991.
Al Khoei said he was no longer under house arrest as the minders guarding him had fled since the war began.
The Ayatollah issued a fatwa last September urging Muslims to stand united "and do their best to defend dear Iraq and protect it from the schemes of covetous aggressors".
But, Mr Al-Killidar, added: "I would be 100% sceptical about that fatwa. The regime always issued fatwa and attributed them to the clergy or Ayatollah but they were always proved wrong and untrue."
He added the foundation was always against any aggression or violence.
"We are there to help the people of Iraq."
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