Shafaq News/ In a rare and influential statement, Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Iraq’s foremost Shia cleric, has outlined a seven-point roadmap for national renewal, calling on Iraqis to confront past mistakes and pave a future of security, integrity, and independence. His message, issued from Najaf following discussions with a UN representative, was seen as a powerful appeal for reform that has already sent ripples through Iraq’s political landscape.

Al-Sistani’s Vision for a Stable and Prosperous Iraq

In a statement on November 4 after a meeting with the UN Envoy, Mohammed Al-Hassan, Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani outlined seven factors necessary for the "stability of the country," emphasizing that Iraqis have a "long path" ahead to achieve this goal.

Ayatollah remarked that Iraqis, “especially the informed elites, must [1] learn from past experiences, [2] make every effort to overcome past failures, and [3] do their best to secure a better future for their country, one where everyone enjoys security, stability, advancement, and prosperity, stressing that this cannot be achieved without [4] developing scientific and practical plans for governance based on competence and integrity in assuming positions of responsibility, preventing all forms of foreign interference, [5] enforcing the rule of law, [6] confining arms to the authority of the state, and [7]combating corruption at all levels."

"However, it appears that Iraqis have a long road ahead before reaching this goal. May God help them in this endeavor," he reckoned.

Regarding the escalating regional situations, Ayatollah Al-Sistani expressed "deep sorrow for the ongoing tragedy in Lebanon and Gaza and profound disappointment in the international community and its institutions for failing to implement effective solutions to stop it or at least to spare civilians from the brutal aggression carried out by the Israeli entity."

A Call to Address Regional and National Instability

Dr. Ihsan Al- Shammari, President of the Center for Political Thinking said that "the meeting between Ayatollah Al-Sistani and the UN Secretary-General’s representative, and his discussion about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as his warning to the Al-Sudani government about its inability to manage the country, the spread of weapons, and the chaos in state governance, indicate a deep concern that will impact the region. Therefore, he is sending messages in multiple directions."

Al-Shammari told Shafaq News that these messages are directed toward the international community stressing the importance of preserving stability and addressing humanitarian concerns. “He also sent a message to the national elites, who have been marginalized by the Coordination Framework and Al-Sudani, urging them to carefully consider the potential consequences.” Additionally, he underscored the urgency for national forces to work proactively to prevent the looming regional crisis from negatively impacting Iraq.

Ayatollah Al-Sistani: Political Influence and Spiritual Authority

The political analyst Abbas Ghadir stated, "It is well known that His Eminence, Sayyid Al-Sistani, has a significant influence on the Iraqi and regional situation in general. Every meeting held with al-Sistani affects Iraq's political and social landscape”, pointing out that Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani conveyed a series of messages and recommendations for both Iraq and beyond.

"Al-Sistani urged the political elites to learn from past experiences, use those lessons to build the state and work on limiting the spread of weapons. He also addressed the ongoing events in the region, particularly the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian and Lebanese people," Ghadir continued.

He noted that the issued statement had a significant effect on the political climate, leading the Coordination Framework to declare its adherence to Al-Sistani’s guidance and express a serious intention to follow through with his directives.

In the meantime, political analyst Ahmed Al-Yasiri suggested that the religious authority’s statement, coinciding with the new United Nations representative's arrival, “underscores the UN mission’s acknowledgment of Al-Sistani’s vital spiritual influence, which influences various facets of life in Iraq, including the political and social spheres.”

Ayatollah Al-Sistani Stands Against Political Exploitation

On 13 June 2014, Ayatollah Al-Sistani appealed that Iraqis should support the government against ISIS which had taken over Mosul and Tikrit and was threatening Baghdad. Later in June 2014, Al-Sistani revised his statement and issued a fatwa calling for "citizens to defend the country, its people, the honor of its citizens, and its sacred places," against ISIS.

Al-Yasiri added in his interview with Shafaq News, "Sayyid Al-Sistani's statement reinforces the idea of spiritual centrality. The humanitarian positions and events in the Middle East, addressed from this spiritual foundation, have been exploited, particularly by armed groups, to connect Ayatollah’s stances to the fatwa of 2014, whereby they intended to militarize the spiritual path of the religious authority."

"Iraqi factions have exploited the general sermons and spiritual centrality of the religious authority, attempting to militarize its discourse and use it to support their security and political agendas. Therefore, in its statement, the religious authority lifted its cover from anyone bearing arms who seeks to justify their armament outside the framework of the state," He explained.

He indicated that the religious authority, through its statement, had distinguished its ethical and spiritual discourse from political manipulation, offering a broad vision for resolving issues in Iraq. This vision, he noted, “underscored the spiritual leadership's support for the centrality of the state and delivered a comprehensive message that could be described as a central declaration by the religious authority. This declaration accentuated the importance of the Iraqi state's centrality, the spiritual centrality of the religious authority, and central international support.”

Consequently, Ahmed Al-Yasiri explained, Sayyid Al-Sistani's statement had highlighted international organizations for their failure to adequately address the humanitarian crisis. The statement made it clear that the religious authority’s humanitarian initiatives, such as aiding displaced persons, were distinct from political matters. Additionally, Ayatollah Al-Sistani rejected external interference and any attempts to align Iraq's national security with that of other countries.

Al-Yasiri proceeded, "This is an implicit response to some reports suggesting that the religious authority is on a list of targets," mentioning that the UN representative had reinforced this point in his remarks following the meeting, in what he condemned the inclusion of the religious authority in regional political or security conflicts and stressing that al-Sistani's role in Iraq was strictly non-political.

Last month, Israeli channel 14 aired a segment featuring Ayatollah al-Sistani's image on a list of potential assassination targets. The image appeared alongside other regional figures, including Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem, Hamas political chief Yahya Sinwar, Iranian Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A "target" mark was placed over each leader’s head, with no explanation but hinting at the intention to eliminate these figures.

“Ayatollah Al-Sistani has not received any Iraqi politician since 2015, and he still insists on his position, so Al-Sistani today returned Iraq to 2004 and the constitutional revolution that he supported. He confirmed the failure of the political experience in Iraq and did not refer to the failure of democracy, but the political actors were not at the level of responsibility, and this is what the reference referred to on previous occasions as well, but today was a confirmation of this meaning,” Al- Yasiri clarified.