Ali al-Sistani: Spiritual leader and stabilizing factor
The Grand Ayatollah is not only the spiritual leader of Iraqi Shiites, but also an important political figure. Here is a portrait of the man who will receive a visit from Pope Francis in the Iraqi city of Najaf.
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani (pictured on placard) has established himself as both a religious and political authority
Ali al-Sistani, Iraq s most important Shiite cleric, was born in 1931 in the Iranian city of Mashhad, but in 1951 he moved to Iraq, where he has lived for the past 70 years. He is a highly esteemed theologian, who first headed the famous Hawza (religious seminary) in the Iraqi city of Najaf, and went on to become the Grand Ayatollah, the country s most senior Shiite dignitary. Over the past 20 years, because of the office he holds, he has gradually become one of Iraq s most influential political figures.