- Title: Iraq's top Shiite cleric calls for protection ofcivilians in Mosul
- Date: 21st October 2016
- Summary: KARBALA, IRAQ (OCTOBER 21, 2016) (AGENCY POOL) WORSHIPPERS SITTING INSIDE THE HOLY SHRINE OF IMAM HUSSEIN (GRANDSON OF PROPHET MOHAMMED) IN KARBALA. (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) ABDUL-MAHDI AL-KARBALAI, REPRESENTATIVE OF TOP SHIITE CLERIC, GRAND AYATOLLAH, SAYING: "We stress today upon our beloved fighters, as we have before on many occasions, that they exercise the greatest degree of restraint in dealing with civilians stuck in the areas where there is fighting. Protect them and prevent any harm to them by all possible means." VARIOUS PICTURES OF WORSHIPPERS IN CAMOUFLAGE OVERLAYING PART OF THE AUDIO WORSHIPPERS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABDUL-MAHDI AL-KARBALAI REPRESENTATIVE OF TOP SHIITE CLERIC, GRAND AYATOLLAH, ALI AL-SISTANI, SAYING: "We call upon the good people of Mosul to cooperate with the security forces as much as possible and to facilitate their mission to free them from the rule of the Daesh terrorists." WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS
- Embargoed: 5th November 2016 12:43
- Keywords: Iraq Mosul Abdul-Mahdi Al Karbalai
- Location: KARBALA, IRAQ
- City: KARBALA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00154Y7BK7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Iraq's top Shiite cleric has called for protection of civilians as Iraqi forces they fight their way toward the IS-held city of Mosul.
Abdul-Mahdi Al Karbalai, an aide to the reclusive Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, reading a Friday sermon from the cleric, said "we stress today upon our beloved fighters, as we have before on many occasions, that they exercise the greatest degree of restraint in dealing with civilians stuck in the areas where there is fighting. Protect them and prevent any harm to them by all possible means."
He also called on the "good people of Mosul to cooperate with the security forces as much as possible and to facilitate their mission to free them from the rule of the Daesh terrorists," referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.
Al-Sistani, who rarely appears in public, is deeply revered by Iraq's Shiite majority. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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