Supreme Religious Authority calls for avoiding violence in dispute settlement, warns of moods and personal decisions

In Friday’s sermon held at the Imam Hussain Shrine on March 15, 2019, sheikh Abdul-Mehdi Elkerbela’i, representative of the Shia Muslim Supreme Religious Authority, called for avoiding dispute settlement using force and violence or making decisions according to one’s mood or personal opinion.

Elkerbela’i said that political disputes over positions destabilized Iraq and caused it lagging behind other counties, loss of human potential, and caused stress for the citizens and loss of possibilities to achieve the necessary services they need.

He also said that differences exist among people in terms of culture, ideologies, traditions, and the tendency to compete with one another, stressing, “Differences must not turn into disputes and conflicts.”

Elkerbela’i indicated that the consequences of family, social, and scientific conflicts must be avoided.

He then called for spreading the sense of mutual respect, patience, and tolerance as well as following wise means of solving domestic issues through communicating with each other.

Elkerbela’i warned of the differences that turn to conflicts and cause everyone to fail, or each party uses unacceptable ways against each other.

“There is no winner; everyone fails when you weaken, and your power and integrity will be lost,” Elkerbela’i addressed political blocs and tribes.

He explained that positive dealings with each other lie in overlooking simple differences and self-interests, noting that correcting each other’s wrong point of view is a good way to follow instead of aggravating the situation, and altruism should be practiced at all levels, and that requires tolerance and patience, and God will greatly reward the altruistic.

Elkerbela’i concluded, saying that personal decisions must not be made in terms of other people’s rights, instead, one must consult a religious authority or the law.

 

Editing: Seddeaq Abood

Translation: Mohammed Elobaidi

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