Shitte Waqf accused of stealing Sunni Waqf property

[alan131210]

03/05/2012 11:26

BAGHDAD, April 3 (AKnews) - The Shiite Endowment (Waqf) Council has taken property in Kirkuk by force, and with the support of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, claim the Sunni Endowment (Waqf) council.

The Sunni Endowment (Waqf) council in Iraq revealed today about addressing the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki about the "excesses" of the Shiite Waqf on its property in Kirkuk province and other areas.

On April 29, the Sunni Waqf announced that the Presidency of Shiite Waqf stormed the Real Estate Registration Department on April 23 with an accompanying force, without any regard to the administration of Kirkuk.

They claimed that the Shiite Waqf forced the employees of the department to change the ownership of a number of religious sites and real estate, estimated at more than 5,000 acres, from the Sunni Waqf to the Shiite Waqf - with the support of the prime minister.

The head of the Shiite Endowment council Saleh al-Haidari responded to the accusations today and said: "Nothing happened during the registration process as rumored, but there was a reception and the operation took place according to law.

"The Vice President of Shiite Endowment headed to Kirkuk holding official letters issued by the Supreme Body for Isolation and Disbanding, which is responsible for dividing the property of the Ministry of Awqaf."

Haidari also denied the intervention of Maliki in the transfer of some ownership of the Ministry of Awqaf to the Shiite Waqf and also denied registering 5,000 acres of land in Kirkuk under its name.

Vice-President of the Sunni Waqf Council Mahmoud al-Sumaidaie said: "The land was registered by force for the Shiite Waqf in Kirkuk. The land belongs to the Sunni Waqf and we have the documents that prove that.

"What had happened in Kirkuk was a personal act and not an implementation for the decision of the Supreme Disbanding and Isolation Committee.

"A lot of decisions about real estate have currently stalled and are awaiting the Committee's deliberation and no one has the right to act without the Committee's verdict."

The Shiite Waqf (Endowment) council in Iraq believes that those who criticize the legal procedures taking place in the transfer of the ownership of the Ministry of Awqaf in Kirkuk are seeking to politicize the issue.

They said the the Sunni Endowment is not the only heir of the disbanded Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs.

The disbanded Iraqi Governing Council, which took over the management of the country after the fall of the former regime on April 9, 2003, decided to cancel the Ministry of Awqaf which was responsible for the management of Shia and Sunni religious shrines and mosques as well as churches.

Instead they decided to form separate Endowment Councils of Shiite, Sunni, and Christian and other religions, which were all passed as institutions affiliated to the Iraqi state according to Article 103 of the permanent Iraqi constitution ratified in 2005.

By Raman Brosk

RN/SS/AKnews

[alan131210]

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