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Religious authorities give Iraqi government new lifeline

While key religious leader Ali al-Sistani wants parliament to establish a road map for change, Iraqi politicians are doing what they can to chip away at protesters' demands.
Iraqi demonstrators take part in one of the ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq, November 6, 2019. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani - RC2R5D9BFFMM

The demonstrators in Tahrir Square in Baghdad and those in southern cities received a big boost Nov. 7 when the religious officials in charge of the two holy shrines of Abbasiya and Husseiniya in Karbala called upon their staff to march out of the shrines to show solidarity with protesters. They focused their demands on bringing the killers of demonstrators to justice, as well as changing the electoral law in order to restore people’s trust in the process. This march of support comes 40 days after the start of demonstrations Oct. 1 in Baghdad and southern cities, which have seen more than 308 people killed and over 14,000 injured, according to figures from the Human Rights Commission.

The Friday prayer sermon by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Karbala on Nov. 8 reinforced the message that the country’s top Shiite religious authority fully supports the demonstrations. At the same time, however, it also gave the authorities a lifeline when Sistani demanded the adoption of a road map with a clear timetable for reform without further “stonewalling and deferment” in combating corruption and moving away from political quotas as “the country is at grave risk.” This means the government needs to adopt a road map for solutions and be given enough time to implement it. However, there were no details provided on who would draw up the road map, what it would contain and who would supervise its implementation.

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