Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) – The majority of Kurdistan Region political parties released a statement on Sunday, welcoming Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sisttani’s call for dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad, after the overwhelming majority of voters in the Iraqi Kurdistan voted for independence on September, 25, 2017.

Below is the text of the statement:

We, the representatives of the majority of the Kurdistan political parties, represented by the ‘Political Leadership of Kurdistan – Iraq’ welcome the initiative of His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, which was announced by his representative, Mr. Ahmed Al-Safi during a sermon on Friday, September 29, 2017. 

The call coincides with [Ashura], a day of triumph of principles over violence, which was the underlining aim of Imam Hussein Bin Ali’s revolution.

This initiative is an important step towards protecting principles of peace and security and the rejection of violence and threats.

The Supreme Spiritual Authority’s call for all sides to return to dialogue is what  has always been our stance, that dialogue is the only way to resolve outstanding issues between Baghdad and Erbil.

We believe that continuous dialogue is vital for protecting coexistence, harmony, and reaching common agreement. Dialogue also prevents hatred, discrimination and racism, which are, regrettably, surfacing in Iraq due to the current political environment. 

We are ready to engage in serious dialogue with the Federal Government of Iraq, as the Grand Ayatollah calls for.   

Political Leadership of Kurdistan - Iraq

Sunday, October 1, 2017