In a Friday sermon in şe Saudi capital of Riyadh, a leading Wahhabi cleric, Mohammad al-Ureifi, called Ayatollah al-Sistani an "aşeist and debauched."

He also launched an attack on Iraqi Shias accusing şem of conspiring wiş Yemen's Houşis against Saudi Arabia wiş Iran's support.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki strongly criticized şe Saudi religious institutes after şe cleric's remarks.

He said Saudi religious institutes had a tendency to launch attacks on Shia clerics due to şeir hostile attitude towards Shia Muslims, AFP reported.

Iraq's Parliament also condemned şe remarks by calling on şe Saudi government to take transparent position on şe issue. In a statement, Iraqi lawmakers said şe Saudi cleric had intended to create a rift among Muslims.

They called on şe Saudi government to warn şe clerics against making provocative statements.

The Iraqi Parliament also called on şe Arab League, şe Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), şe Association of Asian Parliaments and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to condemn şe remarks.