BAGHDAD, May 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraq's Sunni Muslims set up Saturdaya new religious and political authority on behalf of the whole ethnic community to defend the group's rights in the post-Saddamera.

    "A political and religious authority for all Sunni Arabs was setup," said Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the Sunni Waqf (religiousendowment).

    The new Sunni bloc, which has not been named yet, was formed at a meeting held jointly by the Association of Sunni Muslim Scholars, the Islamic Party and the Sunni Waqf on Saturday in Baghdad, he added.

    "The measures and policies adopted by this bloc will be shared by all Sunni parties and movements, whether Islamists, independents, merchants, military officers or heads of tribes," Dulaimi said.

    More than 1,000 representatives from Sunni tribes, political parties and religious leaders also attended the meeting. During the talks, the three main Sunni Arab parties sought support from other smaller Sunni groups to unify the front in Iraq's post-Saddam political arena.

    The Sunni Arabs, making up one fifth of the country's population, have only taken a dozen seats in the newly-elected 275-member parliament. Enditem