# Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's Fatwa

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-ayatollah-ali-al-sistanis-fatwa/166276>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 3, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-ayatollah-ali-al-sistanis-fatwa/166276 "2003-04-03T19:13:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-ayatollah-ali-al-sistanis-fatwa/166276/1 "2003-04-03T19:13:12Z")

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What is its significance? Is it the equivalent of a military order? Or is it more along the lines of an opinion issued by the Pope? Or something else?

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-ayatollah-ali-al-sistanis-fatwa/166276/2 "2003-04-03T20:03:28Z")

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“Small” pope, more nearly resembling a patriarch in an Orthodox church. It is a religious call to action. Those who follow Ali al-Sistani as a religious leader (and those who simply respect his “authority” while actually following a different leader) will consider it a moral obligation to carry out his _fatwa_. Those who do not follow al-Sistani and who do not agree with his position cannot be compelled to carry out the _fatwa_. There is no coercive act, such as excommunication, to enforce the call–other than the possibility that one’s neighbors may respond harshly if they believe you are deliberately flouting it.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-ayatollah-ali-al-sistanis-fatwa/166276/3 "2003-04-03T20:08:33Z")

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A [fatwa](http://i-cias.com/e.o/fatwa.htm) in general would be comparable to a papal statement than anything else, so you’re right there, **Libertarian**.

It depends on whether the Iraqi faithful wish to follow the [edict](http://www.craigslist.org/sfo/sby/pol/9903281.html) or not:

> [@](#):
>
> Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, an influential Shiite cleric based in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, this week ordering the faithful not to cooperate with the Americans.

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**Author:** ![Kiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiger)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grand-ayatollah-ali-al-sistanis-fatwa/166276/4 "2003-04-03T20:18:30Z")

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Looks like he changed his mind:

> [@](#):
>
> Grand Ayatollah Sistani, whom Iraqi authorities in Najaf had held under house arrest, was released and issued a fatwa calling on Iraqis not to interfere with coalition forces, Brooks said Thursday. Last week, while in Iraqi custody, Sistani had issued another fatwa urging Muslims to resist.

And the link: [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/03/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html)