Convert or die, says Shia leader to Iraqi Christians

The head of Iraq’s Shia Waqf, Sheikh Alaa al-Moussawi, described Christians as "infidels and polytheists" and stressed the need for "jihad" against them.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

16 May, 2017

Many have accused al-Moussawi of imitating Islamic State rhetoric [Facebook]

Dozens of Iraqi Christian families filed a lawsuit against the head of the Iraq’s Shia Waqf (Iraqi Shia Endowment Fund), Sheikh Alaa al-Moussawi, on charges of incitement against Christians.

Al-Moussawi, who is in charge of the body which maintains all of the Shia holy sites, including mosques, Huseiniyas and schools, sparked anger as he declared Christians to be “infidels” during a speech in southern Iraq, according to local media.

Al-Moussawi, described the Christians as "infidels and polytheists" and stressed the need for "jihad" against them.

Many have accused him of imitating the rhetoric of Islamic State (IS) militants by stating Iraqi Christians must either convert to Shia Islam, pay a religious tax known as a jizya tax, or be killed.

An Iraqi judicial source told The New Arab that 180 Christian families filed a lawsuit under grounds that he is “instigating incitement against Christians and disturbing the religious plurality of Iraq”.

Al-Moussawi has responded by sending a delegation from the Waqf to the Babylonian Christian Movement to mediate the lawsuit and the allegations that his comments have mirrored IS rhetoric.