The representative of the supreme religious authority, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, pointed out that the ruler or official should not be like a predator that fully ravages its prey.
Al-Karbalai read in the Friday prayer’s sermon held at the holy shrine of Imam Hussein "peace be upon him" on November 22, 2019, a passage from the letter sent by Imam Ali "peace be upon him" to his companion "Malik al-Ashtar", stated that "Do not be like a predator on your parish by ravaging their assets, as they are two types: either a brother in religion, or a counterpart in creation," noting at the same time that the ruler addressed by the Imam includes any official in a governmental position.
"This ruler or official should not consider their parish as a prey to acquire their assets, as he/she also should not take advantage of his position to capture as much as he/she could from the public funds and consider those funds as winnings by default," he said, pointing out that "This governance and authority are a mandate from the people to the official in order to manage the public affairs by providing security, stability, and prosperity."
Al-Karbalai pointed out that the Imam "peace be upon him" indicates that there is no difference between the rights given to all citizens, whether they were following the same religion, sect, and affiliation of the ruler or don’t," noting that "The ruler is required to provide a decent life for all citizens, regardless of their religious, sectarian or ethnicity affiliation."
