Iraq’s Top Shia Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Building Ram Temple In Ayodhya 

Iraq based Shia Cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issued a Fatwa saying that no shrine including a Ram temple can be built on Wakf land in Ayodhya, The New Indian Express has reported.

The Fatwa is in opposition to the stance taken by Shia Wakf Board chief Wasim Rizvi. Rizvi has supported the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed land and proposed that a mosque be constructed at some other location.

Rizvi responded to the Fatwa in stern terms, “Shia Waqf Board will work as per the tenets of the Constitution of India. I am not going to buckle down by any such Fatwa which I refuse to accept as it is nothing but mounting an international pressure on Shia Waqf Board to back Muslim side in the litigation”. Further, he said that he would not buckle down to the pressure of ‘terrorists’ and not agree to the cleric’s Fatwa.

He added that Ram temple was a matter of faith for crores of Hindus and the Shia board stood for the development of Indian society while reiterating his previous stance.

Wasim Rizvi said, “Ram Temple in Ayodhya is a question of faith for Hindus and Shia Waqf Board is concerned about the development of the society and the country. Hindu's should get their right and Muslims should refrain from taking away anyone's right. Shia Waqf Board will maintain its stand even if all the Muslims of the world stand to oppose me”.

Meanwhile, another Lucknow based Shia Cleric named Maulana Yassob Abbasi has asked Wasim Rizvi to ‘fall in line’ and abide by the Iraqi cleric’s Fatwa.