Iraqi Figures Denounce Al-Azhar Statement against Iraq’s Volunteer Forces
They rejected Al-Azhar’s allegations and urged the Egyptian center not to rely on baseless information.
In a statement on Wednesday Al-Azhar voiced concerns over what it called “crimes” committed by Shia forces who support the Iraqi army in its current operations against ISIL.
Al-Azhar condemned as “barbaric” what it called the “crimes” in Sunni-majority towns and cities liberated from ISIL.
Sayyed Sadredding Qabanchi, Friday prayers leader of Najaf, rejected the allegations and called on Al-Azhar leaders to come to Iraq and see the reality for themselves.
Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maleki criticized the statement and said Al-Azhar should have sought reliable information instead of relying on unfounded rumors.
He noted that the volunteer forces fighting alongside the Iraqi army are both Shias and Sunnis who are creating an unprecedented epic in Iraq today.
Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim, who heads the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, also reacted to Al-Azhar statement, saying that the Egyptian center should have sent a committee to see the facts on the ground before leveling accusations against Iraqi popular forces.
In their offensive against the terrorist group ISIL, Iraqi army troops backed by volunteer forces have retaken several cities and areas from the Takfiri militants.
The ISIL terrorists now control parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria. They have been engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.
