Sistani Fatwa No Entering Iraq

Juan Cole 03/06/2004

Sistani Fatwa: No Entering Iraq Illegally

Informed that thousands of Iranian pilgrims came into Iraq every day, by-passing the official checkpoints, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sitani issued a legal ruling on Friday insisting that such illegal entry was religiously forbidden. He said that good Shiites would cross only at official checkpoints. He also forbade smuggling.

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment and Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires. Follow him at @jricole.