Iraqi policemen stand guard as Sunnis arrive to perform Eid Al Adha prayers at the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad's Adhamiya district this year. EPA
Iraqi policemen stand guard as Sunnis arrive to perform Eid Al Adha prayers at the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad's Adhamiya district this year. EPA
Iraqi policemen stand guard as Sunnis arrive to perform Eid Al Adha prayers at the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad's Adhamiya district this year. EPA
Iraqi policemen stand guard as Sunnis arrive to perform Eid Al Adha prayers at the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad's Adhamiya district this year. EPA

Iraqi Sunni and Shiite clerics urge unity and coexistence


Sinan Mahmoud
  • English
  • Arabic

Iraqi Sunni and Shiite clerics denounced divisions along religious and ethnic lines and emphasised the country’s unity at a meeting intended to find common ground between Islam’s two main sects in the war-torn nation.

The meeting on Wednesday was organised by the Muslim World League in Islam’s holiest city, Makkah, and brought together a group of clerics from the two sects to help bridge the gap between them.

The League's secretary general, Mohammed Al Issa, said the meeting was exceptional and was held in a "brotherly and understanding" atmosphere.

However, the meeting was not attended by any of Iraq's senior and influential religious leaders with considerable sway over the country's many political and paramilitary groups, or their representatives.

After the meeting, the clerics issued a statement on the need to activate what is known as the Charter of Makkah, which was signed in 2006 by Iraqi religious leaders and meant to end the bloodshed in the country.

The 10-point charter calls for an end to sectarian violence and attacks on places of worship, to safeguard the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq, the release of innocent detainees and to allow displaced people to return to their homes.

The 2006 meeting was organised by the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference, but the document did not affect the security situation in Iraq and retaliatory killings between Sunni and Shiite extremists groups persisted.

The latest statement stressed the need to preserve Iraq’s “unity, stability and prosperity to contribute to regional and world stability and prosperity”.

The participants agreed to denounce sectarianism and urged coexistence, moderation, mutual respect and tolerance.

They also called for “opening constructive dialogue channels” among the clerics to deal with various issues.

“The priority in our religious and media messages must focus on unity, preserve the country’s identity, make sure to build it, reject terrorism and violence in all forms,” the statement said.

Iraqis have faced sectarian violence since 2004 when Al Qaeda in Iraq declared Shiites as renegades, launching attacks against them and their places of worship, including the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine north of Baghdad in 2006.

That attack spurred Shiite militias to fight back, plunging the country into a bloody civil war.

Death squads from the two communities singled out people from rival sects in Baghdad from 2006 to 2008, kidnapping, killing and dumping bodies in the streets. Many neighbourhoods in the capital became off limits to people depending on their sect membership.

The civil war ended only after Shiite militia leader Moqtada Al Sadr announced a ceasefire, along with a Sunni revolt against Al Qaeda during a series of US-Iraqi offensives that helped to stop the fighting.

In June, a radical Shiite group called for the shrine of a revered Sunni cleric in Baghdad to be demolished, prompting fears of renewed sectarian tensions in Iraq.

In response, the government stationed security forces around the Abu Hanifa Al Numan shrine and mosque.

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Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

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May 2017

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September 2021

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October 2021

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December 2024

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May 2025

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July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

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November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

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Saturday's results

Women's third round

  • 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
  • Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
  • 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
  • Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
  •  9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
  • Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
  • Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
  • 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0

Men's third round

  • 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
  • Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
  • 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
  • 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
  • 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
  • Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
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Liverpool v Roma

Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)

Europa League semi-final, first leg
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Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)

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Updated: August 05, 2021, 2:03 PM