“Iraq war is not Shia Sunni battle”: cleric

Sheikh Maher Hamoud, Head of World Union of Resistance Scholars, in a televised interview with Al Mayadin channel stressed that the battle in Iraq is not a confrontation between Shia and Sunni noting that the US is mixing religious issues in the military affairs in the war torn country, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

He said,” He who holds a weapon against his own nation and army is a terrorist.” and added,” Some scholars and media justify terrorist measures while there has been no case of permitting the bloodshed of innocent people in the history of Islam.”

Lebanese cleric expressed surprise over the remarks by Sheikh Qardawi on necessity of a coalition between terrorists and criminals in Ghouta, Damascus, and said,” We, as religious leaders, do not set any difference between terrorists and criminals and in our idea there is no subdivision for them as of moderate or extremist terrorist or even Saudi or US-backed terrorists.”

Head of the World Union of Resistance Scholars stressed that what is going on in Iraq is not a Shia-Sunni war because ISIL has nothing to do with Islam and added,” The US is mixing religious matters with military issues in Iraq. This country is not in pursuit of putting an end to terrorist groups in Fallujah or other cities and that is the reason it is seriously concerned over presence of popular forces in liberation of Fallujah and Mosul.”

KD