Al-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the ...

Al-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the ...

Tellingly, it was Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, universally acknowledged as the most venerable and authoritative, who was too busy. Whether the stated reason was genuine or it was a deliberate ...

However, following the instructions of Ayatollah Agha Sistani, an eminent religious leader of the Shia sect based in Najaf, Iraq, a significant portion of the community will observe Eid on Thursday.