While Iraqi elections draw near, only security matters

He hurried inside the mosque and re-emerged with a document bearing the stamp of al-Sistani, the country's most revered Shiite leader, that reminded Shiites of their democratic duty.

A man standing in the courtyard chipped in, unprompted: "The Sunnis won't vote, they hate the Shiite."

Many Sunni leaders have been calling for a boycott of the vote.