Al-Sistani urged the Iraqi government to rebuild the shrine, whose golden dome was partially torn off by last year's blast. The compound has since been locked and guarded by Iraqi police.

But he also called for restraint among those observing Monday's anniversary.

"We call on the believers to express their emotions but to be cautious and act disciplined, and not to do anything to hurt our brothers the Sunnis, as they are not responsible for this awful crime," he said.

About 16,000 demonstrators flooded the main street of the southern city of Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, marching toward two Shiite shrines there. Participants rallied with placards reading, "No to terrorism" and "Iraqis are one people, whether Shiite or Sunni."

Hundreds of policemen guarded the area, and no violence was reported.

Muqtada al-Sadr, the anti-American cleric who commands one of Iraq's most notorious Shiite militias, the Mahdi Army, was scheduled to speak to supporters in the holy city of Najaf later Monday.

In 2006 alone, the United Nations reported that 34,452 civilians were killed in violence that has left Iraq battered and divided along sectarian lines.

On Monday, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called the shrine bombing that sparked a year of killings "a crime against humanity and Islam together."

"This horrible crime drives us to toward more solidarity and brotherhood," Talabani said in a speech in Baghdad.

"We will stay with you until we accomplish a secured, democratic, federal and stable Iraq away from the darkness of terrorism, dictatorship."

Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi accused al-Qaida of using the Samarra bombing to "stir sectarianism" and urged Iraqis to rebuild their country.

"We should not stand thwarted. All Iraqis - Arabs, Kurds, Turkomen and others - have to move forward to rebuild the new Iraq after it was ruined for decades," he said.

"There is nothing in front of us except to share society together."

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