Supreme Religious Authority condemns the attacks on protests in Najaf

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INA – BAGHDAD

The second sermon delivered by the representative of Supreme Religious Authority – Marja’ Sayyed Ahmed Al-Safi, on Friday.

The sermon included the following,

“First: Despite of the repeated calls made by the religious authority on the necessity of rejecting violence and commitment to the safety of demonstrations, and purifying the popular movement demanding reform from actions that harm people's interests and lose the solidarity and sympathy of citizens, still it did not prevent the occurrence of unfortunate and painful incidents during the past days. It contains unjustly expensive blood, the last of which was in the holy city of Najaf, last Wednesday’s evening”

“At a time when the religious authority condemns all the attacks and transgressions that occurred by any party, and attends the families who lost their loved ones as a result and calls for the wounded and the injured to recover quickly, it emphasizes what has already been indicated on another occasion that the official security forces are indispensable in avoiding falling into the shafts of chaos and disturbing public order”

“It is the security forces who must bear the responsibility of preserving security and stability, protecting the peaceful protest and protesters' areas, revealing aggressors and infiltrators, and preserving the interests of citizens from the attacks of saboteurs. there is no justification to abandon carrying out the duties in this context, as well it is not justified to prevent from doing so or to confront what is at the heart of its tasks”

“It must act with complete professionalism and refrain from using violence in dealing with peaceful protests and prevent the transgression by its forces, and at the same time it prevents harming public or private property under any pretext or address,”

“Second: In the previous sermon, the religious authority set out its vision to overcome the current political crisis, and made it clear that the new government that replaces the resigned government must be worthy of people trust and is able to calm the situation, restore the glory of the state and take the necessary steps to conduct early elections in a calm environment away from the side effects of money, illegal weapons or external interferences,”

“The religious authority asserts again that it is not concerned with interferences or expressing of opinion on any of the details of the steps taken in this path,”