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Tensions Mount Between Iraqi Government, Najaf

Though influential, Iraqi politicians claim Najaf religious scholars have no right to influence the state of affairs in the country.
An Iraqi man carries the body of his son, who was killed by a car bomb attack, during a funeral in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, August 15, 2013. A series of car bombs in Baghdad killed at least 33 people and wounded more than 100 on Thursday, police sources said. The Interior Ministry put the death toll far lower, saying only three people were killed and 44 wounded in the violence.   REUTERS/Haider Ala (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX12MX2
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One of the paradoxes characterizing Iraq is that while the religious authority in Najaf has not called for religious governance and has even strongly opposed it — something that is historically rare — the religiously-oriented Iraqi government has been resorting to religious slogans and demands to cover up its failure in governance.

Each time the religious authority in Najaf demands that the government work on achieving the civil demands of citizens, it is met with offensive criticism or inattention by government figures.

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