Posted on 05/11/2007 2:57:20 PM PDT by ASC2006
Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite party will make key changes to its platform, party officials said on Friday, in a move that will increasingly align it with Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The changes could distance the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) from neighbouring Shi'ite Iran, where the party was formed in the 1980s to oppose the late President Saddam Hussein.
Under the new platform, the party would get its guidance from the Shi'ite religious establishment as before, but more from Sistani, SCIRI officials said.
That would mark a shift from SCIRI's current platform, which says the group gets its guidance from the religious establishment of Welayat al Faqih, led by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.
A senior SCIRI official said the changes would give the party more of an Iraqi flavour.
"The change will be more as a step to the Iraqisation of the Islamic parties in Iraq," the official said.
In a statement, SCIRI said it had concluded a two-day meeting in Baghdad on Friday, where "significant decisions" were agreed on internal, regional and international issues.
SCIRI officials told Reuters the Islamist party would change its name, removing the word "Revolution" because that was seen as a reference to fighting Saddam, who persecuted Iraq's Shi'ites for decades.
"Our name will change to the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. Other things will change as well," said the SCIRI official, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.
(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
Good news. I’m sure it’ll be on all the networks tonight!
Although al Sistani is a religious crank, his form of Shia Islam is more of a quietist nature and favors a separation of church and state. Plus, he's generally favored self-rule and reconciliation with Sunnis.
Amazing news about Iraq is not reaching America’s airways or printed pages these days. The Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqis. 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under construction, and 38 new schools have been completed. The Iraqi Navy is operational. Iraqi’s Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, three US C-130 transport aircraft.
Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit. Iraqi Police consists of over 55,000 fully trained officers. There are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq. They include 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad station facilities, and 69 electrical facilities. 47 countries have re-established their embassies in Iraq.
Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio and 10 television stations. The Bagdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004. Two candidates for the Iraq presidency had a televised debate recently.
All of this information came from the U.S. Dept. of Defense. This progress in Iraq is thanks to our extraordinary troops working there. Why does the MSM and the Democrat Congress keep this progress from the American people?
Very good news from Iraq!
This is huge. Thanks for the ping.
Thanks for the ping. That is indeed good news.
Let's be careful how we use these terms. Sistani is in favor of a system which is not directly ruled by the clerics (ie he has not run for office). However, Sistani as the senior cleric has enormous influence on the party leaders. If Sistani puts the word out that he is against a policy it is hard to believe he would not get his way.
I don't think that there is an analogy in the west to this at all. Even the Pope's influence on a Catholic country like Ireland is nothing compared to Sistani's in Iraq.
Agreed.
Thanks!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.