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Shia leaders agree on peaceful resistance

AFP, Karbala
Religious leaders in this Muslim Shia holy city said Monday opposition to US occupation should be peaceful, and ruled out the establishment of an Iranian-styled Islamic republic, at least for now. The leaders of the two main Shiite religious currents in Iraq, Sayyed Ali Sistani and Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr both back a peaceful path.
"For sure, in the beginning, our opposition to foreign occupation will be expressed by peaceful means," Sheikh Kaazem al-Nasari, Sadr's representative in Karbala, told AFP.
Sadr is the heir of a family of religious leaders, two of whom were killed by the secular regime of ousted president Saddam Hussein.
Despite his young age, 29, he has become a main leader of Iraqi Shiites after the collapse of the regime, when US troops captured Baghdad on April 9.
The poor Shiite suburb of Baghdad formerly know as Saddam City was renamed by its inhabitants Sadr City, in honour of the religious family.
"The people have only small weapons, it's nothing compared to the strength of the US forces. If at some point peaceful means do not give results, we will decide what to do
next," Nasari said in Karbala, 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad.
Sistani's representative in the holy city, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Karbalai, said non-violent struggle against the Americans should only start after the setting up of a new government that should represent all communities.
"Our vision is that there should be a government in which all communities and ethnic groups are represented, that would act peacefully in order to secure the withdrawal of foreign forces as soon as possible," he said.
Until Monday, there was no representative in Karbala of Tehranbased Iraqi Shiite opposition leader Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Hakim, although the city is hosting a main pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Hussein.
The pilgrimage, that has attracted hundreds of thousands from across Iraq, marks the 40th day after the martyrdom in 680 AD of Hussein, the son of Imam Ali and grandson of the prophet Mohamed.
Both Sistani and Sadr are based in Najaf, which hosts Imam Ali's shrine and the Shiite theological school, or "Hawza," 100 km to the south of here.
While Ayatollah Hakim advocates the establishement of an Islamic republic in Iraq, the representatives
of Sistani and Sadr said that was not an option because of Iraq's religious, political and ethnic diversity.
"Our country differs from Iran, we have to take into consideration its religious and ethnic make-up and therefore form a government representing all these groups, " said Karbalai.
There are no official estimates on the country's religious breakdown, but the Arab Shiite Muslim community is considered a clear majority in Iraq, usually estimated at around 60 percent.
Arab Sunni Muslims and Kurdish Sunni Muslims also make up large segments of the population in the country that includes many smaller ethnic and religious groups, including Christians and Turkomans.
Nasari put the emphasis on the US presence and Iraq's political diversity, as many groups yearn for representation after more than 45 years of dictatorial rule, including 35 years under the Baath party.
"For the time being, an Islamic republic looks a distant prospect for two reasons. One: the colonialists will not allow Iraq to become another Iran. Two: many political parties are competing," he said.