Iraqi, Kurdish religious leaders condemn remarks by "self-proclaimed mufti"
Shafaq News/ Religious leaders in Iraq and the Kurdistan region have condemned remarks by self-proclaimed mufti, Mahdi al-Smeidi, about Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Mudarris, the former Grand Mufti of Iraq.
In a statement issued earlier today, the Union of Islamic Scholars in the Kurdistan region said that it "strongly condemns the insults that do not only concern the scholar and prominent personality, Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Mudarris, but also hurt the feelings of all Kurdish, Iraqi, and regional scholars."
The union called on the relevant authorities to take action against al-Smeidi and prevent the abuse of religious figures.
In Baghdad, the Union of Muslim Scholars also condemned al-Smeidi's remarks about Sheikh al-Mudarris, and called for him to be referred to the competent courts.
The Association of Imams and Preachers of al-Azamiyah in Baghdad also issued a strongly worded statement condemning al-Smeidi's remarks against Sheikh al-Mudarris, saying that allowing him to make such statements is "encouraging extremists."
The Iraqi Fiqh Council (the largest Sunni reference in Iraq) says that al-Smeidi has "assumed the identity of the mufti."
Al-Smeidi had said in a statement that was was circulated that religious scholars, including al-Mudarris, were "spokesmen for the government," but that the Fatwa House today (under the leadership of al-Smeidi) has a strong personality, "thanks to God and the Iraqi government."
Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Mudarris, known as "Mufti of Iraq," is one of the most prominent figures in Iraq and Kurdistan. He was born in 1905 in the village of Biyara in the Kurdistan Region, and died in 2005 and was buried in the Qadiri Shrine in Baghdad, where he lived.
