Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai
His Eminence addressed the following matters:
The first issue:
In light of the recent developments in the province of Anbar and the Baiji refinery, and the breakthroughs by the gangs of Daa’ish in the two regions, and in order to sustain the momentum of important victories that have been made by the Iraqi forces during the past few months, and to disallow the opportunity to the terrorist gangs to reorganize their ranks and attack cities and liberated regions once again, we reaffirm the following:
- The concerned authorities ought to put in place military plans for the fronts, and for the protection of areas vulnerable to attack by the The concerned authorities ought to pay heed accordingly, so as their military plans are comprehensive and coherent, which leaves no room for any loophole that may be exploited by the enemy for his advancement according to it in attaining various victories, even though they may be limited and temporary. The focus of attention on some areas at the expense of others, (i.e pay attention to some areas and be relaxed towards others) entails undesirable results as we have witnessed lately in the exposure of the Baiji refinery.
- It is necessary – as we have mentioned on more than one occasion – that the sons of the areas currently under control by Daa’ish be involved, so as to liberate their areas and rid it of the evils of these terrorists, and that they have a crucial role in this because they take precedence over others as concerns their areas. However, it matters not as a matter of principle that they be shared in this task, by other able Iraqis, even though they may differ in their identities and affiliations, for they are the sons of one homeland, united by a common destiny and under the title of one Iraq – which the home of them all. In addition, leaving those areas under the control of the terrorists, exposes neighboring areas to permanent risks.
And how can security and stability be provided to the dear capital Baghdad, for example, if important parts of the neighboring Anbar province remained under the control of the members of Daa’ish – even though some sites that fall under their control, or seek to control it, maintain the same characteristics of national sovereignty, such as the fields of oil refineries and border crossings and military bases? So how can we entrust its retrieval or protection to the some Iraqis, especially when it doesn’t belong to a particular faction of religion or sect or nationality?
- The attempt by some at home or abroad aimed at disunity and separation among the combatants of the sons of the one people, and affiliating sectarian classifications by some, to those fighting alongside the Iraqi armed forces and who have the cooperation of their brothers from other religions – is meant to weaken the national combatant effort, and strike those who consider the lives and blood as unworthy for the protection of the land of Iraq and its people and sacred sites – even though they belong to different regions, coloured by an array of sects and religions whose aim was not of a sectarian or religious nature, but to protect all of Iraq in all its backgrounds. What we hope from the political forces and decision-makers is that they take no heed to these attempts, and place their attitudes and decisions at the bequest of the supreme interests of the Iraqi people, not to the sons of a particular sect or area.
- We address the fourth point to the heroes of the armed forces and those who care – the volunteers and the sons of the tribes – who now and since days ago, are waging heated battles with the gangs of Daa’ish in the Baiji refinery and in different regions of Anbar. We say to you, our heroes in the armed forces, the dear and caring volunteers of the sons of tribes: you have proved during the past few months your great courage and gallantry, and you have regained the confidence of the capabilities of Iraqis when you were able – in a record length of time – to liberate vital cities and regions, such as Jarf as-Sakhar and al-‘Atheem and Amerli and the mountains of Hamrin and al-Dor and al-‘Alam and Tikrit, at a time when many believed it would be difficult and take up a lengthy time required for liberation. And so, here you are today, you stand in the face of the responsibility of continuance in the fight against terrorists to rid the country of them permanently, and we are confident that you are capable of assuming this responsibility and that victory shall be your ally and that the rest of Iraq will be free at your hands, free from the filth of the members of Daa’ish and their followers, be it sooner or later.
Dear brothers and sisters … We hope all of you pray, for prayer is the weapon of the believer, it is the weapon of the prophets, men and women, young and old, that you turn your attention to prayer for the victory of our armed forces and volunteers, for those who care and those from the sons of the tribes. As you heard in the news several days ago, those heroes who deemed their lives and blood worthless for the cause of defending Iraq, are now fighting fierce and difficult battles. This has been the case for several days, to rid these cities of the gangs of Daa’ish. They offer their lives and blood, and we ought to pray for them all, men and women, young and old, that God grant them victory upon the criminal folk.
- Many officers and soldiers and volunteers and the sons of the tribes have demonstrated their valour in defense of the Baiji refinery and the city of Ramadi and the outskirts of Dujail, and have outlined the features of martyrdom and sacrifice spirit in its best form, and we cannot but pay homage and appreciation to those heroes and pray for the dear martyrs that they rest in peace, and we pray for their families patience and fortitude, and for their wounded a speedy recovery. And we reaffirm upon the concerned authorities on the need to take care of the wounded, especially the disabled and those who suffer serious injuries, and to facilitate their matters of treatment, particularly those who need treatment outside the country, and that they pay extra attention to the families of martyrs and be prompt in granting them their rights.
The second issue:
The cabinet has taken the decision to raise electricity fees. This was followed by deep resentment by many citizens. We say in this regard, that the government reconsider this decision and modify it accordingly, so as to be compatible with the middle classes of citizens as well as the poor. The new prices do not allow most families with middle and low income to benefit from electric power, even for almost necessary usage, particularly in the scorching summer months. Even though the financial situation of the country makes it imperative upon the governments beneficiaries to procure electricity fees, it must also however, take into account the standard of living and psychological situation of the middle and lower classes, especially that many of them have sent their children and loved ones to war fronts to protect the country against terrorist attacks, and who have offered enormous sacrifices in this cause. So is it fair and chivalrous that they claim in these circumstances, large amounts that cannot be afforded to be payed in the use of electric power, even in aspects semi-necessary in their lives, such as cooling equipment at times of intense heat? For at this time, its use is no longer a luxury. We would like to note here to the citizens that the rationalization of electricity consumption at the present time has become a legitimate, national and moral responsibility, for it is noticeable that many shop and home owners do not pay due care to the importance the matter at hand deserves, which subsequently entails excessive and wasteful electric power, at a time if due instructions were given to rational use and disbursement of what is only needed, Iraq would be able to get rid itself of the problem of ill-preparation in fully-equipped electric power in many areas during most seasons of the year. We therefore call upon all citizens in the name of legitimate responsibility and nationalism, that they pay due attention to the rationalization of electricity consumption whenever they are capable of doing so.
