Iraq top cleric al-Sistani condemns attacks on peaceful protesters, rejects govt
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric on Friday
condemned the use of lethal force against protesters and urged demonstrators to
reject acts of violence and vandalism, warning against another spiral of
violence as demonstrations continued across the country.
“Attacks against peaceful protesters
are forbidden,” a representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said, addressing
worshippers at Friday prayer in Karbala.
Protesters “must not allow peaceful
demonstrations to be turned into attacks on property or people ... and peaceful
demonstrators should coordinate to eject vandals,” he said.
Urges parliament to reject
government
Al-Sistani also urged parliament on
Friday to drop its support for the current cabinet.
“The parliament, from which this
current government is drawn, is asked to reconsider its choice in this regard
and act according to Iraq’s interest ... [to] preserve the blood of its
children,” Sistani said in a weekly sermon delivered by his representative in
the holy city of Karbala.
Al-Sistani has previously called on
politicians to hurry up in reforming electoral laws and said the changes would
be the only way to resolve weeks of deadly unrest.
His comments came as the death toll
from weeks of anti-government unrest rose on Friday to at least 408 people
killed, mostly unarmed protesters, a Reuters count based on police and medical
sources showed.
