Shiite religious leader Mohammed al-Fartussi threatened "sinful women," alcohol sellers and cinemas of grave consequences if they did not stop their practices within a week.
"The cinemas in Al-Saadun Street show indecent films. I warn them: if in a week they do not change, we will act differently with them," he said in a sermon at Muslim weekly prayers at Al-Mohsen mosque in Baghdad's Shiite surburb of Sadr City.
"We warn women and the go-betweens who take them to the Americans: If in a week from now they do not change their attitude, the murder of these women is sanctioned (by Islam)," Fartussi added.
"This warning also goes out to sellers of alcohol, radios and televisions," the imam, or prayer leader, told a crowd of several thousand faithful.
"The torching of cinemas would be permitted" by Islam unless they changed their behavior, Fartussi said.
The Shiite cleric was detained for three days last month by US forces controlling Baghdad, and thousands of Shiites demonstrated in the Iraqi capital to demand his release.
"We will not brook any government that does not represent public opinion," he added, saying Iraq (news - web sites) should be governed by religious leaders, not "secular parties."
We believe in religious freedom, but this goes well beyond that. "Torching of cinemas would be permitted" and "The murder of these women is sanctioned" is clear incitement to terrorism and violence. This guy will definitely have to be arrested and kept out of circulation for a while.
