"We remember that under the British, the national assemblies were based on nominations," said Muhammad Hussein al Hakim, the son of another senior ayatollah in Najaf, Muhammad Said al Hakim.

In one corner sit the senior ayatollahs clustered around Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, all betting that it is only a matter of time before the United States delivers a democratic state that the Shiites can dominate through sheer numbers.

At the urging of senior ayatollahs, the religious Shiite bloc that dominates the government is expected to stay together despite the walkout.

Mr. Hakim ceded the fight, mostly because the senior Shiite ayatollahs in Najaf, led by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, have stressed the importance of unity to Shiite politicians.

The most senior ayatollahs are described as Grand Ayatollah or Marja'.

Sheik Yawar then met with three other senior Shiite ayatollahs.

A senior ayatollah praised Karroubi, quoting Muhammad: "A realm will survive without believing in God, but will not survive with oppression."

They also censor and confiscate works that might challenge the Rahbar's theological and jurisprudential authority, notably those works authored by senior ayatollahs who oppose the velayate faqih or particular policies of the regime.

The senior ayatollahs of Najaf, on the other hand, oppose mixing politics and religion but have been making some political remarks - demanding elections over who will write the constitution, for example - because that is what the Iraqi public expects of them.

Local news reports said today that the nation's senior ayatollahs had agreed that because of the earthquake emergency, corpses could be buried in mass graves if Islamic burial rules were otherwise impossible to follow.