Why Ayatollah Al-Sistani's Iraq Fatwa Is So Important
The Iranian-born cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq’s most influential religious leader, has issued a fatwa
to “all able-bodied Iraqis” to defend the country, days after the
radical Sunni Islamist group ISIS captured the city of Mosul and
advanced south toward Baghdad, the capital.
Sistani, a Shia who worships in the holy city of
Najaf, is considered one of Iraq’s most respected leaders. His fatwa, or
religious ruling, is expected to galvanize a significant movement from
within Iraq’s majority-Shia population. Al-Sistani is, after all, the
most influential voice for Iraq's estimated 20 million Shia faithful.
