Egypt's Al-Azhar, one of Sunni Islam's most prestigious seats of learning – Wednesday denounced the offensives against Iraqi Sunni Muslims on the hands of Shiite militias allied with Iraqi security forces against Islamic State (IS) militants. Al-Azhar expressed its deep concern with regard to the barbaric massacres, burning mosques and illicitly assaults on children and women committed by Shiite fighters known as "Al-Hashid al-Sha'bi" militias claiming fighting IS militants or other terrorist organizations in Tikrit, Anbar and other Sunni-majority cities. Al-Azhar called international community and human rights organizations to stop such crimes, demanding the Iraqi government and moderate religious authorities to condemn such attacks and intervene immediately to stop them and ensure they will not happen again.
