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Hojatoleslam Muqtada al-Sadr (b. 1974?) is a young militant Iraqi Shi'a cleric, the son of the famous Shi'a cleric Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr.

Family History

The elder al-Sadr, a well-respected figure throughout the Shi'a world, was killed with two of his sons by the Saddam Hussein government in February 1999 in Al-Najaf, the power-center of the al-Sadr clan. An uncle was killed by the same regime in 1980.

As Muqtada al-Sadr lacks the religious education and degrees required by Shia doctrines, he does not claim the title of mujtahid (the equivalent of a senior religious scholar) or the authority to issue fatwas (religious edicts), consequently he bases his religious authority on his lineage alone.

Positions

Muqtada al-Sadr gained popularity among younger Iraqis following the toppling of the Hussein government by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, mostly owing to his status as his father's son, for he has no formal religious standing to interpret the Koran and relies for religious advice on an Iranian cleric exiled in Iraq, Ayatollah Kazem al-Haeri. The al-Sadr faction are opposed by the al-Hakim family and their supporters.

Al-Sadr, a junior cleric, is believed to be building a messianic movement. It is common belief that al-Sadr wishes to create an Islamic theocracy in Iraq, although al-Sadr himself has stated that he wishes to create an "Islamic democracy". In April of 2004 he initiated a revolt against the coalition of forces occupying Iraq, resulting in the issue of a warrant for his arrest.

Relation to Shi'i and Clerics

Al-Sadr commands strong support (especially in the Sadr City ghetto in Baghdad, named after his father), and in June 2003 raised a militia (reportedly, dubbed the "Imam Mahdi Army") estimated to number in the tens of thousands. Reportedly, the Sadr's militia carries significant meaning as Muslims believe that the Mahdi will appear during the last days of the world. This militia has several times engaged in violent conflicts with Coalition forces and has formed its own religious courts and prisons.

He is rumored to be responsible for the assassination of Imam Abdul Majid al-Khoei and several other prominent attacks, including the car bombing assassination of rival Shi'a leader Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim.

His dispute with al-Khoei originated when he demanded the keys to the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf. The mosque contains the tomb of Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and, according to Shi'a belief, heir to the Prophet's legacy. It is perhaps the most sacred Shi'a site, and also the source of a considerable amount of revenue. Al-Khoei refused to deal with al-Sadr, and instead escorted the custodian of the shrine, an extremely unpopular Baath loyalist named Haidar Raifee, from hiding back to his post at the mosque. According to witnesses, there they were confronted by an angry mob, who said they were there on orders of al-Sadr (and that he had instructed them not to kill within the mosque). The mob killed Raifee with bayonets and knives; al-Khoei was chased down and killed in an alley near the nearby headquarters of al-Sadr. Al-Sadr claims the murderers were not his followers and that he in fact sent men to save al-Khoei from the murderers, but he seemed unconcerned over the death.

Al-Sadr has a long-running rivalry with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who refuses to speak with him. Al-Sistani's more conservative (but better respected) clerical leadership is often in conflict with the radical young al-Sadr. Additionally the murder of al-Khoei, the son of al-Sistani's mentor, may be a source of tension.

Opposition to the CPA

In the initial phases of the occupation, Muqtada was vocally opposed to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) occupation and stated that he had more legitimacy than the Coalition-appointed Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). In September 2003, he declared a shadow government in opposition to the internationally recognized IGC currently governing Iraq. There were several instances of skirmishes between his followers and the occupying forces in the Sadr City ghetto.

The CPA has on several occassions threatened to arrest al-Sadr, and in early April of 2004 announced a warrant for his arrest (see below).

Al-Hawza and Rebellion

At the end of March 2004, Coalition authorities in Iraq, shut down Sadr's newspaper, Al Hawza, on charges of inciting violence (as a side note, al-Hawza is also the name of a religious college in Najaf which was headed by his father). The Coalition authorities said false reporting, including articles that ascribed suicide bombings to Americans, could touch off violence.

Sadr responded by mobilizing many Shi'i followers to demonstrations protesting the closure of the newspaper; the demonstrations escalated throughout the week in number and militancy. On April 4 fighting broke out in Najaf, Sadr City and Basra. Sadr's Imam Mahdi army took over several points and attacked coalition soldiers, killing dozens and taking comparable numbers of casualties.

Paul Bremer states, on April 5, 2004, that the militant cleric is an outlaw and warns about uprisings by the cleric and his followers will not tolerated. An Iraqi judge issues arrest warrant for Muqtada al-Sadr, whom the Coalition Provisional Authority accuses of igniting anti-American violence that led to the deaths of Coalition troops. Several senior US politicans opined that the revolt could push back the date for the transfer of power to the IGC, set for June 30 of 2004.

Quotations

• "There is no use for demonstrations, as your enemy loves to terrify and suppress opinions, and despises peoples."
• "I ask you not to resort to demonstrations because they have become a losing card and we should seek other ways, terrorize your enemy, as we cannot remain silent over its violations."

See also

• U.S.-led occupation of Iraq
• Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr

External links

• Global Security analysis and biography
• Shadid, Anthony, "Militia unchallenged in raid on Gypsy village". The Washington Post, April 5, 2004.