Iraq Declares Three Days of Mourning After Top Cleric's Death

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falu ez-Zeydi declared three days of official mourning following the death of Grand Religious Authority Ayatollah Sheikh Muhammad Ishaq al-Fayyad, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister's Media Office. The statement described al-Fayyad as a prominent scholar of Islamic sciences and jurisprudence. It noted his contributions to Islamic thought and education, as well as his role in advancing the scientific movement in Najaf al-Ashraf, the historic center of Shiite learning in Iraq. Al-Fayyad was also remembered for his efforts to foster closer ties between Muslim communities and his support for what the statement described as the just causes of the Arab-Islamic world. Prime Minister ez-Zeydi conveyed his condolences to the Islamic ummah.