Syrian cleric linked to Iran announces new Shia council

Syrian cleric linked to Iran announces new Shia council

A Syrian Shia cleric has announced the formation of a new council to represent the country's Shia religious minority in dealings with official institutions, in a move that comes amid heightened scrutiny of figures associated with Iranian influence in Syria. In a statement published on Facebook on Wednesday, Abdullah Nizam, head of the Islamic Scholars Body for followers of the Ahl al-Bayt school in Syria, said the council was being established t…