Iraqi Fatwa head urges political unity

The Fatwa Authority of Ahl As-Sunnah Qal-Jamaa in Iraq attributed the fact that some armed factions did not join the political process due to "fear and hesitation". Head of the authority, Mahdi Al-Samedei, said in a press conference held in Baghdad that the fear and hesitation of some armed factions is what prevented them from joining the political process until now. He called on these factions however to join political forces for the sake of stability, as “the land belongs to those who defend it.” Al-Samedei stated: “By embracing a project for the resistance, Iraq will prove to the world that the next stage is that of equality and justice.” “The resistance had the upper hand... and it largely contributed to saving the Iraqi people and cleansing its history from occupation,” he added. Al-Samedei indicated that the resistance “has taken upon itself” the task of driving out the occupation and leading it to quit the country, stressing that now the resistance will turn to a new phase of construction, and repairing what had been destroyed by the occupation. He noted that the authority will give rise to “men loyal to Iraq who have sacrificed themselves, their money, and their blood for the country”.