Sheikh Al-Khazali: Our position on Arab countries has not changed, and Iraq is not affiliated with any axis.

The General Secretary of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Sheikh Qais Khazali, affirmed on Thursday that the movement’s position on Arab countries, particularly the Gulf states, has not changed since the beginning. He emphasized that Iraq is part of the Arab system and called for good and balanced relations with them.
Sheikh Khazali said in a televised interview, “Our position toward our Arab brothers is the same as the position of the entire Shiite community, and we are part of it. It has not changed from the beginning. We welcome the Arabs, and we are supposed to have good relations. However, there has been aversion and rejection from the Arab countries, especially the Gulf states”.
His Eminence pointed out that “the five thousand suicide bombers, the fatwas, and other such matters were no secret,” emphasizing that “after the victory over ISIS in 2017, these countries reached the conviction that the Iraqi political system could not be destabilized or changed, and so began to treat it as a fait accompli”.
His Eminence pointed out that “the five thousand suicide bombers, the fatwas, and other such matters were no secret,” emphasizing that “after the victory over ISIS in 2017, these countries reached the conviction that the Iraqi political system could not be destabilized or changed, and so began to treat it as a fait accompli”.
Regarding the recent Arab Summit, Sheikh Khazali commented, “We noticed that the level of representation at the summit was consistent with reality, but only to ward off evil, not out of genuine love and harmony with Iraq. Even though no one is discussing Iraq’s Arab identity and authenticity”.
Sheikh Khazali criticized the absence of some Arab leaders from the summit, noting that “presidential figures were supposed to attend but did not, such as Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Jordanian king, and the Bahraini king, who was supposed to attend as the previous summit president, but was confirmed to attend, but did not”.
His Eminence spoke about the Emir of Qatar’s attendance, saying, “It was clear that he was embarrassed on two counts: on the one hand, his good relationship with Iraq, and on the other hand, the pressure exerted in the final hours by Arab leaders to prevent him from attending”.
His Eminence stressed that “Iraq is a country with interests. It may agree with one party here and disagree with another there, but it is not subordinate to any axis”.
Regarding the position on Syria, Sheikh Khazali said: “The head of the Syrian regime is welcome as a person, but there is an arrest warrant issued against him by the Iraqi judiciary, and therefore it was not correct for him to attend.” He considered that “the Iraqi Prime Minister’s meeting with the Syrian President was neither necessary nor appropriate, and if the Syrian President has a need in Iraq, he should come after the arrest warrant issue is resolved.” He added: “I stated my personal position, and I do not believe that the meeting between Al-Sudani and Al-Sharaa was necessary or appropriate”.
In another context, Sheikh Khazali addressed his experience in detention, saying, “I was in an American occupation prison with Abu Zainab al-Khalisi, a well-known figure among the mujahideen. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was also in prison, but that doesn’t mean the two are similar.” He explained, “The difference between me and al-Sharaa is that I was arrested for resisting the American occupation and for the Karbala operation, which is an honorable cause, while al-Sharaa was accused of attacking Iraqi security forces, which is a dishonorable cause”.
Regarding the situation in Syria, His Eminence said: “The Syrian regime is going through major internal crises, and if it continues to exist, it will not be in a position to pose a threat to Iraq”.
Sheikh Khazali stressed that “the movement’s position on Iraq’s participation in the summit was clear and explicit, whether through my statements or through members of parliament and our political figures,” noting that “the confusion and weakness in some official positions cannot be justified by saying that Iraq is a democratic country, especially given the presence of objections to every position or action that weakens Iraq’s success in representing the Arab summit. But this is part of the internal reality”.
His Eminence concluded by saying, “Our problem is not with Iraq, but with other countries that were supposed to take note of the official position. Yes, respected figures came, but nothing happened.” He noted that Iraq possesses a democratic space that may be “overabundant” or excessive.