Middle East Focus: Sistani and Khamenei, Tito and Stalin, De Gaulle and LBJ……………

Arabia Deserta

Sistani and Khamenei, Tito and Stalin, De Gaulle and LBJ……………

“Najaf is to Shiites what Vatican City is to Roman Catholics, but some of Shiite Islam's highest spiritual figures operate here out of public view, issuing occasional utterances on issues they consider central to Iraqi society. The credibility of Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani and his colleagues…………

“From their ties to Iranian clerics and their studies, and in some cases from their own backgrounds -- Sistani was born in Iran -- the Marjaiya know a great deal about developments in Iran, but it's one subject their spokesman won't discuss. It's clear that they worry about Iranian influence in Iraq, as well as about the influence of Sunni Saudi Arabia, which reportedly spent heavily in Lebanon last spring to prevent a victory by the Iranian-backed Shiite Hezbollah militant group…..…….Iran opposed direct votes and preferred closed lists. "It is looking to serve its interests by having loyal legislators," he said.

“The reason is grounded in theology, he said: Shiite Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thinks that the clergy should be directly responsible for affairs of state, and his followers believe that his authority transcends borders. "Sistani is the complete opposite," Kinani said. "He believes that the people themselves should be free to choose who represents them......... He doesn't impose orders or decisions upon the government. He intervenes only when there is an issue that touches on the interests of society itself."……..…” McClatchy News
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