Sayyid Al-Hakeem: Societal Diversity National Blessing, Political Sectarianism Threatens Stability, Iraq Faces Opportunity for Historic Leap
From Al-Muqdadiyah District in Diyala Governorate, at the guesthouse of Al Bash Agha Al-Tamimi, His Eminence Sayyid Al-Hakeem, Head of the National State Powers' Alliance, met with a gathering of sheikhs and dignitaries of the district and Diyala Governorate, commending the steadfastness of the people of Al-Muqdadiyah in fighting and confronting terrorism, and explaining that challenges had concealed opportunities that turned hardships into divine gifts. H.E. regarded societal diversity as one of Allah's blessings upon Iraq, explaining that sectarianism is a scourge, whereas the sect is a blessing and a source of enrichment for society, and noting that diversity is a Quranic reality. H.E. described sectarianism as political sectarianism serving particular electoral purposes, which causes the shedding of innocent blood, warning against attempts by some to drag society into sectarian infighting and return Iraq to square one for personal ends. H.E. held tribal sheikhs responsible for rejecting any statement that offends others, and called for preserving stability and the achievements made.
H.E. called for recalling the past to draw lessons and moral takeaways and move toward the future, explaining that Iraqis bear full security and military responsibility following the end of the International Coalition's missions against ISIS, and called for sending messages of reassurance among the Iraqi people, stressing the necessity of adopting demands in a unified manner. H.E. affirmed the ability of Iraqis to protect and embrace one another, noting that coexistence is the foundation of Iraqi society and that everything that has occurred is incidental to it, citing the diverse and mixed marriages among the components in the darkest of circumstances. H.E. explained that Iraq stands before an opportunity to achieve a historic leap in its reality by investing its stability and cohesion. H.E. affirmed that the current priority is economic, and that this is why confidence was granted to the Prime Minister as an economist.
