Najaf: Ayat Sistani calls for restoration of properties from Arabs

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: A delegation from the Kurdish religious scholars did not succeed in getting a fatwa from Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani about return of lands that Saddam regime had confiscated from the Kurds and the Turkmen and delivered these to the Arabs, however the Ayatullah advised them on restoration of the same by means of legitimate courts and non-resorting to violence.

This was held during a visit of a 13-member delegation of the union of Islamic religious scholars from As-Sulaymaniyah to Ayatullah As-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf presided over by the union chief sheikh Mohammad Amin Abd Al-Hakeem Gamgamali.

The delegation revealed to the Ayatullah details of the issue of lands that return to the Kurds in Kirkuk and that were seized from their owners by the ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam. After seizure, Saddam handed these to Arabs whom he sent there forcefully from other regions, and then lodged them on the lands. The delegation presented to Ayatullah As-Sistani a memo signed by 1292 persons from the legitimate lands owners.

The union head focused light on the historical and brotherly relations between Kurds and Arabs and the brotherly relations between Kurdish Sunni religious scholars and the Shiite religious scholars throughout the history for the sake of the service of Islam, nation and the homeland and in confrontation of dictatorship. He wished that the next meeting is in As-Sulaymaniyah city.

According to a source in the union the delegation called on Ayatullah As-sistani for a visit of Halabja city that was hit by Saddam regime with chemical weapons in 1988.

The memo praised Ayatullah As-Sistani’s brave and bold stance towards the raised cases today on the Iraqi arena. Kurds in the memo said they cannot forget the historical stance of the Grand Ayatullah Sayyed Mohsin Al-Hakeem (late) when he stood against the legalization of the Kurdish blood.

The memo included an explanation of ethnic and Arabization cleansing operations practiced by Saddam in cities of Kirkuk, Khankin, Glolaa, Mandli, Sangar and sheikhan and the injustice against the Kurds and the Turkmen. It wished Ayatullah Sistani plays a role as the biggest religious reference and uses its weight for ending of effects of those chauvinist politics that were practiced against Kurds and Turkmen, and return of their confiscated riches, properties and houses.

It is known that during 70s and 80s the former Iraqi regime aimed at changing demography of some Kurdish and Turkmen cities in north of Iraq had deported thousands of Kurds and Turkmen by force to the middle and southern regions then carried out summoning Arab families from these regions and lodged them in their place.

After the fall of Saddam last year, many of the deported families returned to their houses and their farms and drove out the Arab families who were settled there since 70s and 80s creating new problems.

Ayatullah As-Sistani, on his part, said the Kurds are a nation that lives on its land and its homeland since thousands years but it faced injustices continuously… My brothers you are on truth... We are from the Kurds and the Kurds from us, I love the Kurdish nation a lot and wished I know speaking Kurdish language.

He requested from the Kurds two things: This problem should be solved through legal means and the right should be returned to the owner of the stolen right; and the second thing is that Kurds should be forgiving because most of those sent on Kurdistan land were forcefully sent and now it is necessary that Kurds know what loss could inflict to these Arabs in this move.

Meanwhile, the Ayatullah permitted taking photographs with the visiting delegation explaining that it is the first time in his life that he allows taking pictures with the delegations and this stands witness how much he respects and appreciates the religious scholars in Kurdistan.

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