Najaf clerical authority's role in avoiding internal conflict reviewed

NAJAF, Iraq — An assessment published on the Najaf religious authority said its position in Iraq has consistently been aimed at preventing bloodshed and internal conflict. The review said the authority has called for dialogue, calm and political solutions during political and social crises throughout its history. It said that after 2003, the authority worked to prevent sectarian tensions from deepening. In 2014, it issued a fatwa of “jihad al-kifai” in the face of the ISIS threat. Researcher Raji Nasir said that stance helped prevent Iraq from sliding into civil war. Ali Baqira of the Huzur basin said the authority does not accept war and bloodshed unless there is an external threat, and it calls on politicians to keep Iraq away from regional conflicts.