Top Shia cleric warns Baghdad of 'bigger protests to come,' calls for reform

Iraq's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday warned Baghdad that the scope of the protests could increase in a way "they may regret" amid reports a new wave of demonstrations would resume in the southern and central provinces of the country.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq's top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday warned Baghdad that the scope of the protests could increase in a way "they may regret" amid reports a new wave of demonstrations would resume in the southern and central provinces of the country.

“We have repeatedly advised senior government officials and political leaders to realize the great responsibility placed on them ... and to refrain from protecting the corrupt among their parties and friends,” Sistani said in a sermon recited by his aide, Abdul-Mahdi Karbalai, in Karbala.

“In a Friday sermon, three years ago, we warned that those who oppose reform and are betting that the calls [for change] will die down must know that reform is an absolute necessity,” he said.

And if, Karbalai continued, “demands for reforms fade away” for a period, they are poised to return at a later time and “much stronger.”

For three weeks, people have taken to the streets in several provinces of southern and central Iraq to demand better public services, and an end to unemployment and widespread corruption.

In response, the Iraqi government blocked access to the internet and social media and deployed the army and counter-terrorism units to areas where people are protesting.

According to local Iraqi media outlets, at least 12 people have been killed by security forces and over 250 others wounded

Sistani urged incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to meet protesters' demands for jobs and basic services.

“The current government must find which of the citizens' demands can be taken care of promptly to alleviate their suffering and meet their needs,” Karbalai declared.

Sistani has considerable influence among millions of Shias in Iraq but has little authority to challenge Iraqi politicians since 2003 and rarely delves into political matters.

Sistani's representative said the government “has failed in the work it promised to do,” echoing citizens in the south who have decried the lack of opportunities despite the immense wealth generated from their land and the absence of reforms once promised.

He added that it would be a task for the people of Iraq to “develop peaceful methods of protest to impose their will on officials, along with the support of all good forces in the country.”

“Then the scene will have a different face than it has today,” Sistani allegedly concluded.

Editing by Nadia Riva