Ayat Shirazi: Iraq govt must take principle from Imam Ali (a)

By: Amir Jawad

HOLY CITY OF QOM, Iran: Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi said the new government that will take over Iraq to run the country must take its principle from the Imam Ali (a)'s system of government, and the Husyani (a) method so that it can be a just government, established on the principles of Shura (Consultative System), Freedom, and Pluralism; built on the foundation of Islamic Brotherhood, and the Single Ummah, and under this government all the legal rights of the minorities are protected in their entirety, without any shortcomings.

About the role Muslims must play to rebuild Iraq in various domains, he said:

My brothers, the eminent scholars in the Hawzahs and in all cities, may Allah elevate their word, whom Allah has made them to be the inheritors of the prophets, the continuation of the pure Imams alayhum-as-salam, and the protectors against (the plots and ideas of) Satan and his devils: (it is imperative) that they devote their effort - more than before - to guide the people to the path of truth, to disseminate calmness and tranquility through out the community, to revive the spirit of hope, work and endeavour, to awaken them from the depressions of apathy and hopelessness, and to sharpen their resolve to brave hardship and overcome difficulties, for it is reported that Imam Sadiq alayhis-salam said to one of his companions, "I hold your scholars responsible for the wrong acts of the ignorant amongst you" [1] .

The honourable preachers and public lecturers, the mu'min writers and journalists who are the voice of the Ummah, inside the homeland and outside: They must carry out their mission, as they are fit to do so, to guide the Ummah in all respects and to remind them of their momentous responsibilities at this critical stage, through radio, television, newspapers, magazines, conferences, etc.

The youths in Iraq today, who are the hope of the future, whether in the Hawzahs, universities, or in various fields of the workforce: it is imperative that you take the youths of Imam Husayn such as Ali Akbar, Qasim ibn Hasan, and his loyal companions as your role model in tackling the hardships of life. In following the example of those noble individuals, the youths (in Iraq) should also adorn themselves with Faith, perseverance, taqwa, self-sacrifice, and self-denial.

The greatest of all calamities and the main cause of the tragedies that befell the nation of Iraq over the past decades, is the absence of a good and proper administration or government. It is of utmost importance that the (new) government takes the policies of Rasulollah peace be upon him and Amir-ul-Mu'minin alayhis-salam in managing the office of government in Medina and Kufa as exemplar role model.

It should be a government elected by the majority of the population, while under this government all the legal rights of the minorities are protected in their entirety, without any shortcomings. For if the government is good and proper, the country would prosper and flourish; Allah Almighty says: {he (the Prophet Muhammad) releases them from their heavy burdens and from the shackles that were upon them}, and furthermore Allah Almighty says: {This, your nation, is indeed a single Ummah} {Surely the believers are brothers} and our late brother used to extensively emphasise adherence to these noble verses and encourage and urge others to implement the teachings of those verses.

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