Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad

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Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayyad (also Fayad, Fayyadh; Arabic: محمد إسحاق الفياض ) (born in 1930) lives in Najaf, Iraq. He is one of only four Grand Ayatollahs in Iraq, considered the most prominent group of Twelver Shi'a jurists in Iraq[1]. Of these Grand Ayatollahs, he is outranked only by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in influence.[2]

Born in Ghazni, Afghanistan, he holds Pakistani citizenship.

Prior to the 2006 Iraqi elections, al-Fayyad made headlines for demanding that Islam be the source of all Iraqi law[3], completely rejecting any separation of religion and state.[4]. However, he has been noted for a "quietist" approach to Iraqi politics, rarely making political statements, in addition to having "outstanding scholarly credentials"[5]. He, along with the other three Grand Ayatollahs of Iraq, has distanced himself from radical cleric and Mahdi Army leader Moqtada al-Sadr[6].

According to an April 2004 MEMRI report, the London Arabic daily Asharq Alawsat cited an Iranian intelligence defector as saying that the Iranian Al-Qods Army had plans to assassinate al-Fayyad[7].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mehdi Khalaji (2005). Religious Authority in Iraq and the Election (English). PolicyWatch. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  2. ^ Kamran Bokhari (2006). The Shiite Schism (English). Geopolitical Intelligence Report. Stratfor, reprinted on Wadinet.de. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  3. ^ IslamOnline.net & News Agencies (2005). Iraq Shiites Insist Islam Be Sole Source of Legislation (English). IslamOnline.net. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  4. ^ Steven Komarow (2005). Leading Shiite cleric says new Iraq must embrace Islamic law (English). USA TODAY. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  5. ^ Farrukh Saleem (2004). Is Iraq Bush's Vietnam? (English). The Friday Times, reprinted at Worldpress.org. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  6. ^ Alistair Lyon (Reuters) (2004). Iraq tense amid Najaf, Falluja standoffs (English). Yahoo! News - India. Retrieved on 2007-06-25.
  7. ^ Iran's Role in the Recent Uprising in Iraq (English). Special Disatch Series. MEMRI (2004). Retrieved on 2007-06-25.

[edit] External links

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