Sarkhi calls for trial of Iran’s Supreme Leader: Arab Shiite clerics rise against Wilayat al-Faqih

Ali Ragab

The Arab Shiite clerics in Iraq constitute one of the most important and prominent means to confront Iran’s incursion into the country to impose Wilayat al-Faqih (guardianship of the jurist) on the Arab Shiites, and they are calling for an trial before international courts.

The media center of Iraqi Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Hasani al-Sarkhi published on its Facebook page a statement issued by the cleric in which he described the Iranian jurist’s mandate as the “guardianship of the tyrant”.

Sarkhi described late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s mandate as “the state of falsehood… and the state of ignorance, arrogance and fraud!!”

The statement added, “Khomeini clung to it and used it to ignore people and enslave them, and to reach power under the title of a juridical mandate!! But he recommended rule and authority other than jurisprudence!! Rather, for an ignorant, obscure, sadistic thug who had killed the youth who demanded the nation!! And he killed us and the children in Karbala!! And he did it in the rest of the provinces and countries!!.”

Sarkhi demanded that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei be tried before international courts for his role in spreading and supporting terrorism and drugs.

“In contrast to the divine and human missionary approach, we find militias and gangs of tikfirism, kidnapping, murder, displacement, intimidation, terrorism and sacred violations of plundering money and wealth,” the statement added.

Sarkhi believes that the Iranian leader is responsible for terrorist and sectarian acts in Iraq, saying, “With savage, joyful and sadistic hearts, youth are kidnapped and killed, blood is poured out, lives are lost, dead bodies are maimed with burning, and dancing with disgusting witchcraft rituals, coupled with ostracism, rooting sectarianism and strife among people, spreading hatred and violence, and creating terror and intimidation in Iraq and the rest of the countries.”

The statement added that all Iran’s crimes are carried out in the name of religion, saying, “All this ugliness and injustice is its weakness, which is being carried out by the tyrant of Iran.”

Sarkhi’s voice is considered one of the strongest and most prominent voices of Iraqi clerics with an Arab identity in the face of the Wilayat al-Faqih, which is rejected by most of the world’s Shiite clerics, headed by the world’s supreme Shiite cleric, Ali al-Sistani.

Observers have pointed out that inside and outside Iraq, a strong Shiite trend began to rise in the face of the Iranian Wilayat al-Faqih, which constitutes a basis for robbery in government and is based on terrorism and murder.

Since 2003, Iraq has witnessed many sectarian conflicts, most notably during 2006 and 2007. The Shiite authority under the leadership of Sistani has countered sectarian strife, as he issued fatwas (religious edicts) and statements prohibiting sectarian fighting between Iraqis of all sects and forbidding violence in the name of religion born of a jurisprudence that lacks rationality.

A secret Iranian intelligence document published by The Intercept in January 2020 revealed the role of former Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani in committing genocide in Iraq during the war on ISIS.

The document also warned of the outbreak of a sectarian war in Iraq due to Soleimani’s policy, which it described as evil.

The pace of protests has escalated in Iraq since September 7, 2018 against the Iranian presence, with Iraqi demonstrators raising the slogans, “Baghdad is free, free… Iran must leave.” Protesters stormed the Iranian consulates in Basra and Karbala and set them ablaze, which observers considered the explosion of Iraqi anger against Iranian crimes in the country.