Busted!!... Iraqi Press Denies AP Report On Ayatollah Sistani

Iraqi Press: Sistani DID NOT issue a fatwa declaring it OK to kill US Soldiers!

Yesterday, the Associated Press released a shocking report about how moderate Ayatollah Ali Sistani was "quietly issuing religious edicts declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops was permissible."

This was completely out of character with the previous fatwas and religious edicts by the moderate and popular Iraqi Ayatollah.

Today, Iraqi Nibras Kazimi at Talisman Gate, who has met Ayatollah Sistani before, countered the AP report. He included this observation:

If we’ve learned anything from the recent events in Basra, Sadr City and Mosul—by the way, these are Iraq’s three largest population reservoirs—it should be that the reporters and commentators who are tasked to describe Iraq to American and western audiences are at worst dishonest and duplicious, at best some string puller’s chorus of useful idiots.

It is in this vein that this AP story is released; to distract from other things that could be reported in Iraq, such as how things are dramatically improving and how this war has been decisively won.

Nibras also found this Iraqi article that disputes the report by the Associated Press:

Iraqi-American Haider Ajina helped translate the article that was published at the Arabic website Iraq Alalaan

Uzmatik / Najaf

This is from a source close to the Office of the religious authority, Mr. Ali al-Sistani in Najaf today, Friday, blasted some news sites and denied that op-Sistani "is preparing to issue a fatwa calling for armed resistance against occupation".

The source, who asked to remain anonymous, in an interview with "Newsmatik", "There is no truth to this irresponsible rumors in whole or even in part."

Source added that from the beginning of religious authority from the outset is that "Iraq is not ready for jihad or a military confrontation for the time being, after the devastation left by the great wars of the former regime."

The source said that Sistani "supports the resistance to the occupation, but not by military means, for the time being."

Ali al-Sistani, the most prominent religious authority for Shiites in Iraq and the world, and the spiritual leader of the scientific estate in Najaf.

Haider also notes that Sistani has never said the American presence was an "occupation" before although he has called the Al-Qaeda presence in Al-Anbar an occupation force. Sistani stated previously that since the Americans were asked by the elected Iraqi government to assist in security that they are not considered an occupation force.

More... The Iraqi Press denied the report today!
Aswat Al-Iraq reported:

A close source to grand ayatollah Ali Sistani’s office on Friday denied news agencies’ reports the Shiite cleric issued a fatwa permiting taking up weapons to drive the foreign occupation forces out of Iraq.

“The reports of issuing fatwa by the Shiite cleric Sistani permiting taking up arms to drive foreign troops out of Iraq were baseless”.

Internationa news agencies reported Sistani issued a fatwa, an edict, legalizing Iraqis to hold up arms to drive US troops out of Iraq.

The source, a cleric from Karbala associated with Sistani office,pointed out “Sistani’s stance is clear since toppling the former regime(of Saddam Hussein) by calling for sticking to civil resistence to drive foreign troops out of Iraq”.
Ali Sistani, living in Najaf, is the top cleric and hold a strong sway over Shiites in Iraq and a number muslim countries.

IraqSlogger has more:
Shi'a Clerics Dispute Sistani "Fatwas" Report
Hat Tip BG

Iraq Pundit has more.

The AP published this story based on anonymous sources in Iraq.
They also managed to divert attention away from the good news that General Petraeus shared with Congress yesterday.

Previously on Ayatollah Sistani:
Iraq's Spiritual Leader Calls for Unity & the Disarming of Militias
Real Developments in Iraq
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Expresses Solidarity with Pope!
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Calls For Peace & Unity in Iraq
Largest Iraqi Shiite Party Splits With Iran
Ayatollah Ali Sistani Blasts Foreign Media For Bogus Reporting!!
Sistani urges Shiites to protect Sunni Iraqis

UPDATE: Doug Ross created a new logo for the AP.