Think Iraqis like Al-Sadr? Think Again

HEALING IRAQ, one of the better and more frequently updated Iraqi BLogs, has a response from a prominent Iraqi cleric to some of the myths that are floating around Iraq and have been making their way into the Western Media. Muqtada Al-Sadr is not the superman that he thinks he is, and is fooling no one, except those who wish to be fooled by his rhetoric.

1. It is the movement of Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr that is losing legitimacy in the strictest sense, and not the one led by Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Al-Sistani...

2. It is the movement of Sayyid Muqtada that has encouraged the occupiers to cross the red lines...

3. And it is clear that the organization of Sayyid Muqtada - and whoever follows the Sadrist movement - were the first to violate the sanctity of the yard of Haydari Shareef (Imam Ali's shrine in Najaf)...

4. The organization of Sayyid Muqtada is now carrying out intimidation of the general public and arrests of citizens, not only those whom they call collaborators with the occupation, the police, owners of stores selling foodstuffs to occupiers and others, but also students of religious sciences opposed to them and some of the members of the Badr organization...

5. The firing of shots at the great dome of the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) [in Najaf], according to some specialists was most likely from the weapons of Sayyid Muqtada's followers...

Who says a free press is not starting to take root in Iraq? It is thriving and producing a great crop of information and perspective, even if we do not always like it. Posts like this from within the war zone are windows into a changing world, much more like the young republic of our own nation than we might like to admit.