Ayatollah al-Sistani urges security forces to keep peace

Iraq’s most prominent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has called on security forces to avoid using excessive force in the wake of anti-government protests that have entered their third week.

In a statement read out by his representative Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaei during a sermon in the holy city of Karbala on Friday, Ayatollah Sistani held security forces accountable for any violent escalation, and urged the Baghdad government to respond as quickly as possible to demonstrators’ demands.

Ayatollah Sistani also said there should be “no more procrastination.”

“The political apparatus has a unique opportunity to respond to citizens’ demands with an agreed roadmap,” he said in the sermon read out by his representative.

Protesters in Iraq have directed their rage at a class of elite leaders, whom they accuse of pillaging the oil-rich country’s wealth while the population grows poorer.

The protests, which began more than a month ago, have often turned violent, with security forces opening fire and protesters torching government buildings.

Last week, President Barham Salih said Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi was willing to resign once political leaders agreed on a replacement. He also called for a new election law and said he would approve early parliamentary polls once it was enacted.