Sheikh Kubaisi is a very popular Sunni cleric and preacher in Iraq. He advocates the end of foreign occupation in Iraq and the institution of an Islamic state. To this end, he is a spokesperson of the Sunni Ulema Council, an important association of Sunni Muslim scholars in Iraq. Kubaisi has been residing in the UAE for several years and despite health issues continues to be active, and leads prayers that are televised worldwide from the state mosque of Abu Dhabi.