Kurdish leaders offer condolences over passing of prominent Shiite cleric

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish leaders on Thursday offered their condolences over the passing of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayyad, hailing him as a “towering” religious figure who championed the values of moderation. The messages come as Iraq declared three days of national mourning following the revered scholar’s death.

“We extend our deepest condolences and sincere sympathies on the passing of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayyad, one of the most prominent religious and scholarly authorities in Iraq and the Islamic world, who dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge, education, and service to society,” Kurdistan Region President Nerchirvan Barzani said in a statement posted on X.

He added that, with Fayyad’s passing, “Iraq has lost a towering figure who left a profound mark on religious and intellectual life and who, over many decades, helped promote the values of moderateness, tolerance, and wisdom.”
“We express our sympathy and solidarity with his esteemed family, students, and admirers, and we honor the distinguished service he rendered to scholarship and to Iraq,” the Kurdish President noted.

Similarly, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani extended his “heartfelt condolences and sympathies to [Iraq’s] supreme religious authority [Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani] as well as to all Iraqis and Muslims,” following the passing of Fayyad.

“We pray to almighty God to envelop the deceased in his vast mercy and to grant his family, loved ones, students, and admirers patience and solace during this difficult time,” the Kurdish Premier said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday declared three days of national mourning across the country following the death of Fayyad, who had long been rumored to be among the potential candidates to succeed Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. 

“We extend our condolences to the supreme religious authority [Sistani], to our honorable Iraqi people, and to the Muslim community worldwide on the passing of the great religious cleric [Fayyad],” Zaidi said in a statement, declaring three days of mourning across the country “on this sorrowful occasion.”

The Iraqi premier described Fayyad’s death as a “painful loss,” noting his efforts in promoting Muslim unity and “supporting just causes of the Arab and Islamic world.”