Iraqis urged to close down demos

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Iraq’s Ayatullah Ali Husseini As-Sistani called a halt to anti-coalition demonstrations in the country until the United Nations decides whether direct elections can be held.

Ayatullah’s representative Sheikh Abdel Mahdi Al-Karbalai said this at Friday prayers in this holy city which houses the holy shrines of Al-Imam Al-Hussein bin Ali ibn-e-Abi Taleb (p) and Hazrat Abbas bin Ali ibn-e-Abi Taleb (p).

It is “vital today, to wait until the US and the UN clarify their positions on the election procedure to choose the nature of the next Iraqi government and the basic law,” Al-Karbalai told worshippers. He said the ruling was issued through the Marjaiya.

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