WASHINGTON Iraqs top Marja Friday urged Iraqis to unite to expel radical militants from the country and called for the formation of a new government that is more inclusive.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the winning parties from Iraqs recent parliamentary elections need to engage in dialogue in order form a government that will function well and avoid past mistakes a thinly veiled critique of Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia politician who has served as Iraqs prime minister since 2006.
Maliki has come under increasing criticism for failing to include Iraqis Sunni minority in the political process.
Sistanis message was delivered by his representative Ahmed al-Safi during Friday prayers at the shrine of Imam Hussain in Karbala.
The 83-year-old cleric decried the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as a plague on the region. If Iraqis dont overcome sectarian differences and join together to fight the militants, he said, everyone will regret it tomorrow, when regret has no meaning.
He said his call for Iraqis to fight ISIS was intended for all citizens regardless of sect. Volunteers should join the official security forces, not religious militias, he said.
The sermon comes a week after his call for arms drew estimated 1.5 million Iraqis to military centres to help expel ISIS which has taken over much of northern Iraq, including Mosul, the countrys second-largest city.
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