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Iraq

Iraq arrests 5 Baath officials for cleric’s murder, oppressing Kurds

2025-02-01

[Rudaw] The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) on Friday announced the arrests of five people accused of involvement in the liquidation of Shiite holy man Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and oppressing Kurds during the reign of the Baath regime decades ago. "Through a series of precise intelligence operations, the National Security Agency managed to arrest five of the most notorious criminals from the followers of the former regime who had recorded pages of terror and mass killing," INSS spokesperson Arshad al-Hakim said during a presser. He said the arrests of the "criminal gang" were "carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Dissolved Ba'ath Party Prohibition Law and with high-level coordination with all relevant authorities and the judicial institution." One of the suspects, Sadoun Sabri Jamil, was a senior commander under the Baath regime. The accusations against him include the killing of Sadr and his sister "with his personal weapon" and mass executions of members of opposition parties. Haitham Abdul Aziz Faiq, another of the men arrested, was also a top commander. He is accused of supervising the killings of Sadr and his sister as well as members of the Dawa Party. Sadr is the father-in-law of the influential Shiite holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr ...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry when the check cleared... . He was a popular holy man and critic of the Baathist regime. He was executed in 1980. The third suspect is Khairallah Hammadi Abd, a former major general. He was allegedly involved in the suppression of Fayli Kurds in Baghdad in 1974 and forcibly displacing regime opponents. Shaker Yahya is accused of taking part in the executions of Kurdish detainees in Baghdad in 1984 and of preventing people from holding ceremonies to mourn Sadr. The final suspect was identified as Nimat Mohammed Suhail. His crimes included "leading arrest and torture campaigns targeting more than 40 university students in Sulaimani and other universities, involvement in the arrest of three opponents in Sulaimani," according to the INSS spokesperson. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... i commended the security forces on the operation. "The National Security Service members, along with the other state security teams, continue to demonstrate their unwavering dedication to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice prevails, leaving no room for impunity," he said in a statement. "With the recent achievement of justice through the apprehension of key figures from the criminal repressive apparatus of the Saddam-era Ba’athist regime - those responsible for the killing of the martyr Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr, may he rest in peace, his sister, and a group of deaders from Sayyed ...Arabic term meaning your/his lordship. Groveling in His Exalted Presence is encouraged... al-Hakim family, along with thousands of innocent Iraqis whose lives were lost in the darkness of prisons - we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the relentless pursuit of criminals, no matter how long they evade justice," he added.

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Iraq

President Barzani congratulates al-Maliki for being elected as Secretary-General of the Islamic Dawa Party

2022-01-17

[SHAFAQ] The President of the Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, congratulated Nouri al-Maliki for being elected as Secretary-General of the Islamic Dawa Party. "On this occasion, we stress the need for cooperation and common understanding between all parties and communities of Iraq, to overcome the problems and address the difficulties", President Barzani said. For his part, PM Barzani said, "On the occasion of the success of the eighteenth conference of the Islamic Dawa Party, and choosing you as a Secretary-General of the party, I offer my sincere congratulations, wishing you and the brothers in the Dawa Party progress and success."

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Iraq

Islamic Dawa Party renews confidence in Al-Maliki

2022-01-16

[SHAFAQ] The Islamic Dawa Party renewed confidence in its current Secretary-General, Nuri al-Maliki. A source told Shafaq News Agency; The Islamic Dawa Party held its 18th conference and re-elected al-Maliki unanimously as its Secretary-General for a second term. Shia parties have become a prominent political actor in Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003. They have played vital roles in shaping constitutional and political processes. Founded in 1957, Dawa is the oldest of these parties. Between 2005 and 2018, three of its leaders, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Nuri al-Maliki, and Haider al-Abadi, assumed the position of prime minister. Al-Maliki, 71, is heading the Dawa bloc in the Iraqi parliament, with 33 seats. Dawa is a leading party in the Shiite Coordination Framework.

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Iraq

Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr will not die, and he will not be martyred, Iraqi deputy says

2021-07-06

[SHAFAQ] The Iraqi deputy, Faiq Sheikh Ali, commented on Monday, on the statement of Sadrist movement leader, Moqtada Tater al-Sadr ...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry... , about the "near of his death." Sheikh Ali said in a tweet, "Sayyed Moqtada al-Sadr will not die, and he will not be martyred... No, I swear by god..." He added, "This is the fourth time that he (Al-Sadr) announces his imminent martyrdom... Moqtada al-Sadr will remain and his (electoral) list will win and he will form the government headed Jaafar al-Sadr..." Jaafar Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr is an Iraqi politician with the Shiite Islamist Islamic Dawa Party. Today, he is the Iraqi ambassador to UK.

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The Grand Turk

Research article explains how Turkey uses pan-Islamism as a solution for failure

2019-05-24

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire.... has used Islam to legitimize itself as the leader of the Moslem world since the Ottoman Empire’s decline, writes Saud al-Sarhan, secretary-general of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, in an article titled "Erdogan and the Last Quest for the Greenmantle." The article, published by the International Center for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR) at King’s College London, argues that Ottoman Turkish President Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey... evokes a pan-Islamic rhetoric "in an attempt to increase the appeal of Turkey’s political stances to Moslem populations across the world" ‐ a tactic which Sarhan links to "political arms of various terrorist groups." The Ottomans similarly exploited pan-Islamism, but "only once their days of conquering lands had been checked by Europeans," Sarhan writes. In the early 20th century, Christians made up more than a third of the Ottoman Empire’s population ‐ only to become reduced to less than a fifth after the empire started losing European lands, which Sarhan presents as a major reason for the easy spread of pan-Islamic thought. The Ottoman ruling elite "sought to adopt pan-Islamist positions in order to reverse the deteriorating state of their empire," the article argues, offering as evidence the campaign that the Ottomans carried out to urge the world’s Moslems to be loyal to them instead of their local rulers shortly before the First World War. These campaigns failed, which Sarhan attributes to the rejection of Turkification policies by Arabs and Moslems outside the empire, in a major negative turning point in pan-Islamic thought. According to Sarhan’s research, after the abolition of the empire, pan-Islamic thought was revived through groups such as the Moslem Brüderbund in Egypt, the Caliphate League in India, and the Moslem World Congress in Pakistain. However, women are made to be loved, not understood... the groups did not flourish until secular Arab nationalist regimes failed to solve the "Paleostinian problem" in 1967 and the Soviet Union collapsed, which resulted in a decline in support for Soviet-aligned secular governments in various parts of the Arab world. This enabled pan-Islamic parties to gain power in places such as Iran (Khomeinism), Iraq (Dawa Party), Gazoo (Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",) and Egypt (the Moslem Brüderbund’s Freedom and Justice Party). History repeated itself, according to Sarhan, when Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) failed to qualify Turkey for membership in the EU, causing him to turn, once again, to a more pan-Islamic position to secure a major place for Turkey on the world stage. Sarhan also explains that Turkey even uses pan-Islamism to incentivize Arabs and Moslems to invest in the country and save its economy. He gives the examples of a former Kuwaiti MP and a Moslem Brüderbund sympathizer journalist, both of whom urged people to invest in Turkey on the basis that it is a Moslem nation.

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Iraq

When the revolutionists regret it

2018-11-19

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] When asked on a television show about the current situation in Iraq and the state of corruption, which is hindering government formation even as ISIS prowls near the borders, Iraqi member of parliament Izzat Shabandar said: "I would accept a President and a government, even if 70 percent or 60 percent of it is corrupt and infiltrated, over a situation of void that might lead to dire civil war that lasts for a quarter of a century." "If I had the present awareness before Saddam was toppled, I would have supported my country against the US invasion and let Saddam stay." The interviewer then asked him: "If this be so, then why did you not accept Saddam Hussein? He was a dictator, why do you accept (what you just said) but reject him?" Shabandar courageously replied: "If I had the present awareness before Saddam was toppled, I would have supported my country against the US invasion and let Saddam stay." Although I disagree with this politician over many of his views, especially as he belongs to the Shiite Dawa Party, which is equivalent to the Sunni Moslem Brüderbund, I appreciate his candor in that he admitted the truth despite it being so bitter for many revolutionists to accept. ISLAMIST MOVEMENTS I definitely believe that what this Iraqi politician has said is what many citizens of Arab countries, who responded to the call of Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... is and the Moslem Brüderbund who used to call their movement ’The Arab Spring,’ are currently saying. Experience is the best evidence. All those who were fooled by ideologies and slogans and who were swept away by revolutionary actions are now regretting it as security and stability are the state’s real fortune. When Arab citizens do not care about this wealth, their inevitable fate would be what is happening now in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen. Iraqi Arab citizens should never forget that those who led bloody revolutions in these countries are the Islamists who used religion and made it a pragmatic tool. Here you can witness the consequences of these revolutions; what these false religious appearances had done to their countries ‐ bloody civil wars, that just when they are about to calm down, they are ignited again and so on. As for us in Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and the Gulf, the withdrawal of Islamist movements and exposure of their true faces is reassuring. Their repeated attempts to ignite tensions again collude with peoples’ support for their leadership. It is also crystal clear that many of their traitorous figures who had worn false religious appearances have raised the white flag as they suddenly realized what happened to those whose stability and security were harmed by what was falsely called the ’Arab Spring’. This ’Arab Spring’ has exposed their schemes and made people realize what the true goals are. Such Islamist movements are receding now. Years ago, I had expected this end for the Islamist movement; however, this so-called Arab Spring was tantamount to the high price which Arab people had to pay to get rid of these devilish movements that deceive people in the name of Islam.

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Iraq

Rival Iraqi factions make coalition deal and end Al-Abadi’s prime minister hopes

2018-09-14

[ARABNEWS] Pro-Iran parties in Iraq reached a deal on Thursday to join a parliamentary coalition overseen by anti-Tehran holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr ... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah... that ends Haider al-Abadi’s hopes of hanging on as prime minister. The compromise means members of the ruling Shiite Dawa Party will be excluded from competing for the post to lead the next government, negotiators involved in the talks told Arab News. Al-Abadi, the head of Dawa’s political bureau, who was looking to win a second term, was the biggest loser in the deal. Nuri al-Maliki, the former Iraqi prime minister and head of the State of Law coalition, who was hoping to play a key role in nominating the new head of government also lost out. Iraqi’s Shiite rivals have been frantically competing to form the largest parliamentary coalition, since elections in May. Moqtada al-Sadr, one of the most influential Shiite holy mans, whose Sairoon list came first, formed a 154-seat coalition including al-Abadi and his al-Nassir list.

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Iraq

Iraq factions announce alliances to form new government

2018-09-03

[PRESSTV] Iraqi political factions, which did best in the country’s May parliamentary elections, announce separate alliances within the legislature, which they claim enables them to form the country’s new government. On Sunday, politicians following senior holy man Moqtada Sadr and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s lead said they had created an alliance that would give them a majority bloc at the Parliament. A rival grouping led by commander Hadi al-Amiri and former premier Nouri al-Maliki responded by saying it had formed its own alliance, asserting it featured the lion’s share of the seats at the legislature. The 329-seat legislature is to come together on Monday to elect a speaker and launch the government formation process. Sadr's Sairoon bloc came first in the polls, while the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance led by Amiri, and Abadi's Nasr finished second and third. A bloc led by Maliki ended in the fifth place. A recount was called after the polls due to allegations of electoral fraud. The procedure delayed the process of government formation by three months, but confirmed the primary results with little change. Iraq’s Muqtada Al-Sadr Forms Parliamentary Majority Bloc [Sputnik] After three years of war with Daesh and three months of a vote recount, Iraq can now form a new government and begin the process of rebuilding. Sixteen political groups in Iraq, including those of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, reached an agreement Sunday to form the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament. This agreement, reached just before the first session of the Iraqi Parliament on Monday, gives Al-Sadr the exclusive right to form a government. Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, reportedly backed by the West, is also a part of the coalition. Al-Abadi is purportedly interested in extending his position into a second term, but as he is no longer the only candidate from the alliance, it is uncertain whether he will succeed. Iraq’s Maliki says will not run again for premier post [IraqiNews] Iraqi Vice President Nouri al Maliki stressed on Sunday that he would not run again for the post of prime minister. “I was serious when I announced four years ago that I will not run again for the post of prime minister. I am still committed to my attitude and I will not change it,” Al Ekhbariya TV channel quoted al Maliki as saying in a statement. Maliki stressed, in his statement, that he will “stand by any person who assumes this top post to help him improve the situation in Iraq and achieve national goals.” Maliki served as prime minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014. He is is assuming the posts of secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party and vice president of Iraq. Al-Maliki began his political career as a Shia dissident under Saddam Hussein’s regime in the late 1970s and rose to prominence after he fled a death sentence into exile for 24 years. During his time abroad, he became a senior leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, coordinated the activities of anti-Saddam guerrillas and built relationships with Iranian and Syrian officials whose help he sought in overthrowing Saddam. Maliki worked closely with United States and coalition forces in Iraq following their departure by the end of 2011. Abadi says to attend parliament session Monday as premier, election winner [IraqiNews] Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Sunday that he will attend the first parliamentary session scheduled on Monday morning as a premier and election winner after his alliance came third in the general elections, held in May. Dijlah TV channel quoted Abadi as telling reporters that “the Victory alliance will be present at the parliament tomorrow, Monday. And I will be also there as a prime minister and a winner in the elections.” Abadi said, however, that he will not take oath at the parliament tomorrow because that will prevent him from assuming his executive tasks as a prime minister. Abadi has been serving as a prime minister of Iraq since September 2014. In the May 12 parliamentary polls, Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr’s Sairoon coalition won 54 parliamentary seats, followed by an al-Hashd al-Shaabi-linked coalition (47 seats) and Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s Victory bloc (42 seats). Last week, Iraqi President Fuad Masum issued a decree, ordering the newly-elected parliament to convene Monday under the oldest lawmaker, a move which precedes the election of the new president and formation of the new cabinet. Under the Iraqi constitution, 15 days after final election results are endorsed by the Federal Supreme Court, the new parliament must hold its first session during which the speaker will be chosen. A new president will be elected within three days of the legislature convening and the president will then ask the largest parliamentary bloc to form a cabinet. Iraq’s president is elected by the parliament by a two-thirds majority and is limited to two four-year terms The speaker of the Iraqi parliament should be a Sunni Arab, the prime minister a Shiite, and the president a Kurd.

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Iraq

Oil field protests: hundreds of tribals protest, 19 casualties in clashes with cops

2018-07-15

Hundreds of Iraqis continue protests at southern oil fields Basra (IraqiNews.com) Hundreds of Iraqis resumed protests on Saturday near oil fields in the country's south, demanding enhanced services and employment. Iraqi Mawazin News Agency said hundreds of tribes outside the Majnoon oil field northeast of Basra province demanding job opportunities, replacing foreign labor at oil companies with Iraqis, enhanced potable water and electricity supplies. Over the past week, protesters at some southern provinces, including Basra, invaded airports, local councils and main roads protesting poor services and unemployment. One protester was killed the past week during clashes with security in Basra as demonstrations swept through Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah, Maysan, Karbala and Babil provinces, prompting the Iraqi president to urge for calm and respect for protesters demands. Also in Najaf, the province's airport administration said flights resumed late Friday after angry protesters stormed it. A statement by the airport's board accused "government officials and political parties with economic objectives" of "engineering a conspiracy against the airport", as it put it. Late Friday, a meeting by the ministerial security council, chaired by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, concluded that unrest during the protests was the making of "infiltrators", vowing to "take deterrent legal measures" against those. Iraqi economy has been ravaged by a three-year war against Islamic State militants, coupled with unstable world petroleum prices, the country's main income source. Maysan protests leave 19 people injured, including security men Maysan (Iraqinews.com) – Up to 19 people were injured Saturday in clashes between security forces and demonstrators in the southeastern governorate of Maysan, a senior health official was quoted by Alforat News as saying. Dr. Ali al-Allaq, the director of Maysan's health directorate, said, "the injured included security forces and civilians, with some of them suffering from gunshot wounds." He pointed out that his directorate is ready to handle "the increasing number of injuries among the policemen and demonstrators alike." Allaq further called on all citizens to "cooperate with medics and open roads for them to help them move the injured to hospitals as soon as possible." On Friday, several protests were held outside the headquarters of various political parties in Maysan, including Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's Dawa Party. Some of these parties were set on fire. Earlier in the day, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on security forces to show restraint in handling peaceful protests staged near oil fields in the country's southern provinces. In a Twitter post, Sadr expressed his rejection of "any attack on oppressed protesters." Hundreds of Iraqi youth have been staging rallies since last week demanding enhanced services and job opportunities.

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Iraq

What next for Iraq’s Abadi after his ‘victory’ alliance collapses?

2018-01-18

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The "Victory Alliance", which brought together Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the Popular Mobilization Unit (PMU) militias did not last for more than 48 hours. The "victorious" coalition was on the verge of disintegration, putting Abadi in a difficult position. Now, Abadi, a member of the Islamic Dawa Party, is trying to find new Shiite allies. Abadi’s Sunni allies do not form a popular base in their liberated areas that can help him get enough votes to support his coalition. The alliances and coalitions between the Secretary General of the Islamic Dawa Party Nouri al-Maliki and the Shura Council in the party triggered different reactions. The council objected to registering the party’s name in the electoral commission under Maliki’s name, and informed him that his post was "honorary". As such, the party decided to withdraw its participation in the elections. On the same day that the party decided to withdraw its participation in the elections, Abadi declared the formation of a "victory coalition" that fell over and needed new alliances. ’Falling apart’ There is no legal or constitutional provision to determine the date for forming new alliances before the elections which is scheduled to be held on May 15th of this year, so it seems that the Electoral Commission will accept the new alliances that will be announced by the political blocs. Contrary to what is expected, the popular mobilization factions entered into an alliance with Abadi and merged under the Victory Alliance. These factions are Badr, Asaib, Ahl al-Haq, the Brigades of Imam Ali, as well as the Ataa movement. The Victory Alliance gathered many important names, and this was an indication that it will not last long and that the victorious military alliance will keep their main coalition (Fatah), headed by Hadi Amiri including the factions of the popular mobilization forces. It seems that the withdrawal of the PMU militias from the Abadi coalition has put the latter in a corner that he is trying to escape from; nevertheless, there are those who believe that this entire scheme was planned by the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Qasem Soleimani. The Iranian general arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad without providing much information about the dates, the locations and the reasons for his visit. The Intel indicates that "Soleimani supervised the alliances of the Shiite political blocs, especially those close to Iran." After the PMU militias joined the Victory Alliance led by Abadi, Soleimani headed to Baghdad in a secret visit, as it is usually the case. The sources said, "Soleimani planned to withdraw the factions close to Iran in a move to overthrow Abadi." Seeking other alliances Abadi is now looking for an alliance with the leader of the Sadrist movement Moqtada Tater al-Sadr ... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah... , but the first delegation, which arrived in the city of Hananah in the province of Najaf where Sadr’s house is located, was unable to meet him. It is believed that Sadr refused to meet with the members of the delegation. As soon as Abadi announced the new alliance with the popular mobilization forces, many social media users expressed their anger, even those who supported him in his previous steps, when he announced his reformist plans. Iraqi social media users criticized him, and considered him like his predecessor Maliki. Critics of Abadi, especially those who have demonstrated against corruption and cultural and media elites, criticized him for forming an alliance with suspected "corruption" figures while the prime minister promised to fight "the corrupt." Abadi’s recent steps appear to be a shock to those who expected to get rid of the "quota" policies that have drowned and ruined the Iraqi state system. Analysts say that "the disintegration of the recent alliances proved that the Iranians do not want Abadi, because they consider him close to the United States, hence not an ally to Iran."

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Iraq

Maliki rejects joint electoral list with Abadi: Dawa Party

2018-01-09

[ARABNEWS] Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will participate in the forthcoming parliamentary election, but refuses to do so as part of a joint electoral list with his successor Haider Abadi, big shots of the Islamic Dawa Party told Arab News. Both Abadi and Maliki belong to the party. The current prime minister replaced his predecessor in September 2014 following widespread opposition to Maliki’s desire for a third term. Tensions between the two have persisted ever since. So far, 205 political parties and 12 registered alliances will participate in the election, which is due to take place on May 12, the Independent High Electoral Commission told Arab News. Ali Alaq, a Dawa leader, told Arab News that the party "wants to participate in the election in one electoral list." This "will preserve the interests of the party and won’t disperse the (electoral) votes, but Maliki has another opinion," Alaq said. But Maliki’s political adviser Abbas Mossowie told Arab News: "Participating in two electoral lists, one headed by Maliki and the other by Abadi, has been discussed during recent party meetings." Mossowie added: "The final decision hasn’t been made yet, but the majority (of the party) supports having two lists. Maliki prefers to run the election in two lists." The rebuilding of the security establishment, the retaking of territory lost to ISIS and the Kurds, and increased international and regional support for Abadi’s government, contributed to his nomination as head of Dawa’s electoral list, party leaders told Arab News. "Abadi is more worthy than anyone else to head the list. Our field research suggests he has a great chance at re-election as head of the next government," a Dawa leader told Arab News on condition of anonymity. "There’s almost an international, Arab and popular consensus on Abadi. He deserves to win another term to finish his work on the economy, fight corruption and rebuild liberated areas." Maliki believes that Abadi, Dawa and his Shiite rivals betrayed him when they opposed him having a third term even though he gained the most votes in the 2014 election.

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Iraq

The only way to root out terrorism

2017-02-22

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The ongoing political struggle in Iraq between Sadrists and the Dawa Party is a Shiite-Shiite struggle. It is between two Islamized and politicized groups belonging to the same sect. Vested interests and the dire need to maintain influence have made each claim that it is the true representative of the sect while its rival is corrupt and portrays Islam negatively. If the Sunnis engage in this political argument, the struggle will worsen and those involved will simply adopt a more sectarian approach. This is where the seeds of violence, rivalries, murder, bloodshed and strife are sown. Therefore, it is not at all possible to root out the causes behind terrorism unless Moslems agree to separate religion from the muddle of politics and holy mans agree to stay away from the swamps of political disputes. This cannot be achieved unless by following the principle "religion is for God and the homeland is for all". The principle was applied in the West after wars and religious and sectarian disputes had crushed them. This continues to be the basic pillar of co-existence among them despite the differences of faiths, sects and ethnicities. Their history is full of sectarian divides and disputes, just like the Arabs of today. I am certain that we can eliminate terrorism only by eliminating its causes. The most important step is to prevent religion, or more accurately, sects from interfering in politics. The common factor When looking at the Sunnis, take Moslem Brüderbund, its byproduct of Sururism, al-Qaeda, ISIS and its branches as an example. Compare them with the Shiite Dawa Party, Hezbollah in Leb, Sadrists, Popular Mobilization Forces and Houthis in Yemen. We will realize that the common factor among all these is that they employ religion to serve political ends. Each category claims they are the only true Moslems and that the others have gone astray. Ask yourselves objectively ‐ How do we resolve this clash and end fighting? There is only one solution and it is peaceful coexistence irrespective of religious or sectarian differences. I am all ears if anyone has another solution. One must feel free to suggest and the only condition is that it should satisfy all Islamic parties and sects and completely root out terrorism. The basic principle I firmly believe that there is no other solution. Other people have sought and tried and reached the same conclusion after blood has been shed and the rights and dignities have been violated. Cities after cities have been destroyed in the process. In the end, this was the only solution they found so they agreed on it and considered it made it one of their basic principles. I know there are parties that benefit from acts of terrorism. They claim that they are against terrorism but when you call for eliminating its causes, they attack you. If you propose a solution, they use the most hideous words to describe you. They know that they will be the first to lose if religion is separated from politics. They are fighting this solution just like priests in Europe fought during dark medieval ages.

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