AhlulBayt News Agency: The Friday Prayer leader of Najaf says the intensifying conflict between religious and political leadership in the West signals a crisis that will lead to the near collapse of Western powers, stressing that the future will witness the end of great powers.
Hojatoleslam Seyyed Sadroddin Qabanchi, speaking during Friday prayers at the Fatimiyya Great Husseiniyah in Najaf, said the confrontation between the Vatican and the White House exposes the deepening crisis in the West.
"In the Western world, America and Europe, the conflict between religious leadership and political leadership has intensified," Qabanchi said, pointing to Pope Leo XIV's historic trip to Africa and his criticism of US policies.
The Pope declared that "the world is being destroyed at the hands of a handful of despots who spend hundreds of billions of dollars on wars," drawing open criticism from the US president, while American bishops rallied behind the head of the Catholic Church.
Speaking in Cameroon, the Pope further stated: "Cursed are those who exploit religion and the name of God to achieve military, political and economic goals," adding that "they turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and destruction, when this money should be spent on health and education."
The Najaf Friday Prayer leader stressed that these statements reveal a crisis approaching collapse in the Western world, asserting that the future of the West will witness the end of great powers.
Remembering Ba'athist regime's crimes
Marking the martyrdom anniversary of Shahid Sadr II, Qabanchi recalled the crimes of the Ba'athist regime, reading from an official document issued by the commander of Dhi Qar forces addressed to Saddam's Fedayeen.
"On October 3, 2001, the sentence of cutting off the fingers of the right hand of the convict was carried out for tearing up a picture of the president, in the presence of the representative overseeing Saddam's Fedayeen, the governor of Dhi Qar, and the secretary of the party branch in the province," the document read, dating November 1, 2001. Qabanchi said this stands as one of the documents testifying to the crimes of the cursed Saddam regime.
Government must crack down on price gougers
Turning to domestic issues, the senior cleric addressed soaring prices, invoking Imam Ali's (PBUH) letter to Malik al-Ashtar: "Prevent hoarding, for the Messenger of God prohibited it, and let trade be conducted with fair measures and prices that harm neither seller nor buyer." The Imam added: "Whoever commits hoarding after your prohibition, punish him severely, but without excess."
Qabanchi stressed that Islamic jurists affirm selling at exorbitant prices that harm the market and buyers is religiously problematic, calling on security agencies to pursue traders who sell goods at double their value.
Nation rejects political wrangling, foreign interference
On the delay in selecting a prime minister, the Friday Prayer leader said the Iraqi nation is dissatisfied with the political wrangling, warning against allowing foreign will to strip Iraq of its political independence.
"Iran has declared through its envoy that it does not interfere in internal affairs and the decision rests with the people themselves," Qabanchi said. "Meanwhile, America sent an official message rejecting one candidate, and a week later sent another message rejecting another individual. This is direct interference in Iraq's internal affairs and a form of blackmail to influence the will of the elected prime minister—something we categorically reject."
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