ISTANBUL

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric issued a religious ruling Sunday saying that popular support for and solidarity with Iran at the present time constitute a “collective duty."

The fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, regarded as the highest Shiite religious authority for millions of followers in Iraq and around the world, was issued amid escalating tensions in region over the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The fatwa urged Muslims to take to the streets and public squares in demonstrations supporting Iran and the Islamic system, saying that maintaining the stability of the Islamic system and preventing what it described as “division conspiracies” requires a “broad public presence and popular solidarity in the public squares,” considering this a collective religious obligation.

It came in response to a question posed to Sistani regarding the religious judgment on gathering in public squares and in mosques to confront what was described as acts of sabotage and plans aimed at weakening the pillars and institutions of the Islamic system, with the goal of breaking a climate of despair, preventing the destruction of public property and moral corruption, frustrating enemies’ expectations, and supporting the values of the Islamic Revolution while preventing chaos during the current sensitive circumstances.

Sistani’s influence extends beyond the traditional religious sphere to include major symbolic and leadership roles.

In 2014, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi youths responded to his fatwa calling for fighting the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group, which led to the formation of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) as a force supporting the Iraqi army.

His latest ruling comes amid a growing military escalation in the region. Since Feb. 28, the US and Israel have been carrying out attacks against Iran which have reportedly killed hundreds of people, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several security officials. In response, Iran has launched missile barrages and drones toward Israel and has also targeted what it describes as “American interests” in several Gulf countries as well as in Jordan and Iraq.

Some of the attacks have resulted in casualties and damage to civilian facilities, drawing condemnation from several Arab countries, which have called for an end to the attacks and warned against further escalation in the region.

*Writing by Khaled Badr in Istanbul