Maraje Uzzam opinion about national politics

By: Hamza Al-Aud

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: Maraje Hawzah Ilmiyah An-Najaf-ul-Ashraf, or the Ayaat of the Religious Seminary of the Holy City of Najaf, are of the view that Ayaat should keep aside from national politics considering the politics as in obeys religion.

Shiite School of Thought has this honour that gate of ijtehad is opened in it and moqalledin across the world return to the Maraje in all their affairs who keeping in view the demands of time make decisions after drawing conclusion in the light of Quran & Sunnah, ilmulAsool.

Some of these maraje in the Religious Seminary in the Holy City of Najaf are Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim – he belongs to the family of (late) Marja-e-Azam Mohsin Al-Hakim. Head of SCIRI Ayatullah Baqer Al-Hakim is also of this family. His younger brother Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim was present on Arbaeen in Iraq and Baqer Al-Hakim has also made announcement to return home -, Ayatullah Ishak Fayyad – he is Afghani-born with Pakistani nationality. His family lives in Pakistani province of Balochistan. He is considered of the most brilliant students of Chancellor Hawzah Ilmiyah Najaf Ayatullah Abul Qassem Al-Khoei whose son Abdul Majid Al-Khoei was assassinated in the holy city of Najaf last month - and Ayatullah Hafiz Sheikh Bashir An-Najafi – he is residing in the holy city of Najaf since more than three decades and he belongs to Pakistani province Punjab.

And similarly Grand Ayatullah Seestani with whom two contradictory fatawa issued during US invasion were attributed and later his first of the two fatawa was denied by his office. Recently, Ayatullah Seestani has cautioned religious leaders to stay out of politics in a ruling plastered on walls across the city.

In answer to a question on the limits of the religious leaders' role regarding national affairs in line with current situation in Iraq, he said that Ulama must not get involved in administrative affairs (perhaps he meant national)... Their role must be confined to guidance.”

Besides many others all these Ayaat, who are directly or indirectly students of Grand Ayatullah Abul Qassem Al-Khoei (late), on Thursday on the occasion of martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Muhammad Rasoul-ullah (s) and Al-Imam Al-Hassan (AS) remained engaged in Aza.

While, Aaqa-e-Sayyid Muqtada As-Sadr, son of martyred Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Sadeq As-Sadr, issued a statement Thursday calling for a meeting of all currents to agree on joint policy that would govern Friday sermons.

Meanwhile, tensions have risen in the past few days over raids conducted by the US-appointed and people-rejected new governor for the holy city of Najaf Abdul Munim Aboud and his security forces into Najaf's religious schools in search of weapons.

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