Just heard on CNN and Fox that the Grand Cleric for Shi'ite Muslims was freed from house arrest in Iraq and is telling all Muslims to stop fighting the Coalition forces.
Hope this is true!
P.S. Sorry If this was posted already
Shi'ite leader urges Iraqis not to resist
LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - An Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim leader has urged Iraqis not to hinder U.S. invading forces after previously asking them to resist efforts to topple President Saddam Hussein, a Shi'ite group in the UK said on Thursday.
In a religious ruling, or fatwa, Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani urged Iraqis to stop fighting in and around the Shi'ite holy shrine of Najaf, the Al Khoei foundation in London told Reuters.
Grand Ayatollahs are the highest authorities in Shi'ite Islam and Sistani is the only one in Iraq. The fatwa applies nationwide.
"Until now the Shias of Iraq and the followers of Sistani were confused on whether to take up arms against the Americans, whether to fight," said a spokesman for the foundation, which represents followers of Sistani.
"This is reassuring to everyone. The regime wanted to portray the Shias of Iraq and Sistani as supporting him (Saddam)."
Sistani is the supreme religious authority at the al-Hawza al-Ilmiyya theological school in Najaf and had been under house arrest on President Saddam Hussein's orders.
This was the first fatwa Sistani has issued since his house arrest was recently lifted, the spokesman said, and it was expected to prompt fighters inside the holy shrine of Najaf to give themselves up within a couple of hours.
Last September Sistani issued a fatwa urging Muslims to stand united "and do their best to defend dear Iraq and protect it from the schemes of covetous aggressors."
That was the first time this key theological school had issued such a fatwa.
Iraq is ruled by the pan-Arab Baath Party, which has traditionally espoused secular nationalist ideology, but in recent years Saddam has been encouraging Iraqis -- split between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims -- to turn to religion.
