Qom Theological School Endorses Ayatollah Sistani’s Stance against ISIL
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Qom Howzeh, an influential theological school of Islamic learning, praised Iraqi top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali al-Sistani’s religious decree (Fatwa) which urged Iraqis to counter an insurgency by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group.
In a statement published on Monday, the clerical school also condemned what it called the international communities’ muted response to the atrocities committed by the terrorists in Iraq.
“The terrorist and criminal acts by the vicious group (ISIL) against the Iraqi oppressed nation is taking place while the international community and the self-proclaimed human rights advocates, who always adopt double standards towards such events, have remained completely silent this time,” the statement read.
In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, the ISIL seized control of most parts of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq and its surrounding Nineveh province.
The terrorists’ attacks have reportedly forced more than half a million people in Nineveh Province to flee their homes.
Following Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s fatwa, which called on all Iraqis to take up arms against terrorists, nearly 1.5 million Iraqis have volunteered to join battles against the al-Qaeda-linked militants. The volunteers consist of people of different social strata, including retired officers.
