Iranian Editorial Iraq Must Heed Al

Iranian Editorial: ‘Iraq must heed Al-Sistani to avoid US “conspiracy”‘

Editorial of Iranian Newspaper Jomhuri-yi Islami, 4 Oct. 05, via BBC World Monitoring for Oct. 5 05:

Iranian paper says Iraq must heed Al-Sistani to avoid US “conspiracy”

SOURCE: Jomhuri-ye Eslami, Tehran, in Persian 4 Oct 05 p 1

Text of unattributed editorial: “Iraq is in need of patience and judiciousness” by Iranian newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami on 4 October

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

The news these days coming from Iraq indicates escalated insecurity and aggravated and increased division among the people. Although the turmoil and in-fights in Iraq are ostensibly attributed to religious controversy among the Sunnis and Shi’is, that is not the truth; and behind the curtain a different scenario is being cooked up and masterminded by particular quarters and suspicious hands that seek special evil objectives, and they are neither supporters of Sunnis nor do they sympathize with the Shi’is. . . [Refers to incident of undercover British SAS officers captured in Basra . . .]

In the meantime, the approach that Ayatollah Al-Sistani, the source of emulation of Iraqi Shi’is, has adopted – namely his call on Iraqi Shi’is for control and self-restraint, and desisting from getting involved in a religious war – is a correct and judicious policy. This logical and intelligent approach is in reality the antibody to the conspiracy America is practising through massacre of Shi’is by its own henchmen and secret agents, and then blaming others for it and portraying it as a conflict between Shi’is and Sunnis, and giving it all the looks and colours of religious controversy.

Ayatollah Al-Sistani’s policy and approach ought to be followed meticulously and with great patience by the Iraqis, and the fury and rashness of those who declare these days that their patience is coming to an end because of all the massacre of Shi’is must not become a factor and element in revising the policy. Distancing from this policy is tantamount to falling into the trap prepared by Anglo-Americans, and this is what the latter are waiting for expectantly with their fingers crossed. The prime duty of religious and political leaders of Iraq, whether Sunni or Shi’i, is to keep their calm and begin a close and sincere dialogue and keep consulting each other on every issue, and try to overcome the present critical and sensitive days and put the current problems and predicaments behind them via calm, thoughtfulness and discretion. This is the only way that can undermine and thwart the present American conspiracy in Iraq. ‘