Sistani’s Fatwa on the New Government
Fatwa of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on the New Government
trans. J. Cole
“In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
From the office of his excellency Grand Ayatollah Sistani, may God extend his shadow.
Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God.
Many of the believers have asked about his position toward the new Iraqi government, which was constituted yesterday through the efforts of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the envoy of the secretary general of the United Nations:
In His Name, May He be exalted.
His excellency the Sayyid had previously and repeatedly affirmed the necessity for the Iraqi government to possess a sovereignty that derives from free and honest elections in which the children of the Iraqi people participate in a general way.
But, the option of holding [early] elections was rejected, for many well known reasons–procrastination and delay, opposition and intimidation. The time fled, and the appointed date of 30 June approached, on which it was supposed that Iraqis would regain sovereignty over their country.
Thus, the process has become one of appointment, in order to form a new government, without achieving the legitimacy of having been elected. Moreover, it does not represent all slices of Iraqi society and all political forces in an appropriate way.
Even so, if it is to be hoped that this government will establish its worthiness and probity and its unwavering determination to shoulder the immense burdens now facing it, it must:
1. Obtain a clear resolution from the United Nations Security Council on the return of complete sovereignty over their country to the Iraqis, unconstrained in any regard, whether political, economic, military, or security-related. Every effort must be made to efface all signs of occupation in every way.
2. Provision of security in every part of the country and putting an end to organized criminal activities, as well as all criminal actions.
3. Provision of public services to the citizens and reducing the effort necessary for them to pursue their everyday lives.
4. First-rate preparation for general elections, and keeping to the appointed date, which is at the beginning of the coming new year according to the Christian calendar, so that a national assembly can be formed that is not bound by any of the decisions issued in the shadow of the Occupation, including what they call the Law for the Administration of the Transitional State [i.e. the Interim Constitution].
The new government will never obtain popular acceptance save if it demonstrates through actual and practical steps that it is striving with earnestness and sincerity to fulfill the above mission. May God enable all to do as He wills and as pleases Him.
14 Rabi II, 1425
The Office of Sayyid Sistani”
There is now a printed text on the Web at Karbala News, which enabled me to make some final revisions at 2:43 pm EST.
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