Scant support for Al-Sadr [supporters numbered at 150]

Smccdi ^ | 4/11/04 | Smccdi

[freedom44]

KERBALA - Tens of thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims headed home on Sunday after a subdued religious festival overshadowed by a rally in support of a radical Shi'ite cleric and fears of Sunni militant attacks.

Few pilgrims voiced support for Sadr and his uprising -- the young cleric draws more support from poor, angry youths in the Baghdad slums than among the traditionalists in Kerbala.

Around midday on Sunday, as many pilgrims were leaving, about 150 people rallied in support of Sadr.

"We are supporting Moqtada because he challenged the Americans, the Zionists, and exposed the hypocrite Ayatollahs," said one, Morad al-Mohammadi from Baghdad's Sadr City slum.

In one street, where most windows were shattered and walls were pockmarked with bullet holes after fighting with Polish troops, locals shoved away a man chanting his support for Sadr.

"Go away from here, we have women and children," said one of the locals. "If you want to fight them, go fight them in your neighbourhood, don't fight in our city."

Iraqi police, whom U.S.-led forces had previously entrusted with keeping order during Arbain, were not seen in Kerbala after this week's clashes. Shi'ite militias and local guards, some employed by the clerical authorities, were patrolling streets.

Some clerical authorities expressed concern at the extra security risk created by the police abandoning their positions, but said pilgrims would continue to come to Kerbala to celebrate Arbain anyway.

"Thanks be to God that nothing has happened until now, but even if there were attacks people would come," said Afdhal al-Shami, head of security for Kerbala's Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas shrines. "During Saddam's time people were tortured and killed to try to make them stop coming, but they still came."

[SuziQ]

"Go away from here, we have women and children," said one of the locals. "If you want to fight them, go fight them in your neighbourhood, don't fight in our city."

We need more regular Iraqis doing this all over the country!

[TrueBeliever9]

150 Iraqis show support for Al-Sadr

The majority do not want to be photographed - they know that the photos are being used to identify insurgents (e.g., Iranians, Syrians, Palestinians, etc.)

[nuconvert]

Sistani has preached separation of religion and politics. How do you see him balancing that philosophy with a position in the Iraqi government?
Being the Official Grand Ayatollah for all of Iraq?

[gilliam]

Separation of religion and politics in an Islamic sense is much different than in an American sense. Basically, it just means you have 2 heads of state: one secular and one Muslem. The secular law supports all principles in the Islamic law. Religious problems are handled by the religious leader and secular problems are handled by the secular leader. This is the traditional Arabian model.

[nuconvert]

Yes. And that's what Sistani preaches. So, what position would he hold?

BTW - welcome to FR. If you haven't visited Iranian Alert Thread, you might be interested

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1115390/posts

[gilliam]

Thanks for the welcome. FR is quite the place!

[nuconvert]

Yup....the big news stories get broken here many times before they reach the general public.
It's addictive..........

[nuconvert]

Seems the action is still hot in Ramadi.

[Guillermo]

Al Sadr DOES have MASSIVE support (among US and European lefties).