| FrontPageMag.com | Articles By Robert Spencer | Articles By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Robert Spencer Bio |  |
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
More Islamic than Iraqi, he says
Al-Sadr emphasizes the religious character of his movement. Of course, Western analysts will continue to dismiss him as a Misunderstander of Islam.
"Iraqi Leader of the Al-Mahdi Movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, Supports Armed Attacks against US Forces in Iraq and States that the Al-Mahdi Army Will Be 'An Interested Party' If Any Arab or Islamic Country Is Attacked," from MEMRITV (thanks to Mackie):
Following are excerpts from an interview with Muqtada Al-Sadr, Leader of the Al-Mahdi Army in Iraq, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on March 29, 2008.[...]
It is the duty of the Al-Sadr movement and the Iraqi people to strive to gradually liberate Iraq. The liberation of Iraq does not mean only bearing arms. There is also cultural liberation, social liberation, military liberation, and so on. The assault against Islam is not only military. It is both cultural and military, and it requires, at any given period, diversification of the resistance. But the liberation of Iraq remains a national duty, and a primary goal of the Al-Sadr movement.
[...]
Interviewer: Do you consider acts of resistance to be legitimate when directed against these forces, which you call "occupying forces"?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: No one can deny [the right] to conduct resistance. No human mind would deny it. Resistance is the legitimate right of all peoples. Resistance automatically appears wherever there is occupation. Allah willing, the U.S. will be vanquished, just like it was in Vietnam.
Interviewer: Do you support any armed resistance against these forces, which you label "occupiers"?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: This is the reasonable right...
Interviewer: Do you support it? Do you support armed resistance against the forces you call "occupiers"?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: Against the occupiers – yes, but not against others.
Interviewer: Since you claim that Iraq is now occupied, and that the occupiers are the Americans, do you support conducting acts of armed resistance, in order to liberate Iraq from the occupying American forces, as you call them?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: On condition that these acts do not harm the Iraqi people.
Interviewer: I will get to that. We will talk later about your general political position. Do you openly support these acts?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: Yes, I do.
Interviewer: What do you mean when you say "on condition that they do not harm the Iraqi people"?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: For example, that the battles should not be waged within the city. This is just one example of how to avoid harming the Iraqi people. The targets should be hit accurately, so that others will not be harmed. The people who conduct resistance know these things better than me.
[...]
This will be the army of the Reformer [the Mahdi], Allah willing. At the end of time, the Mahdi will appear, and if by that time, we are still around, and if we are capable mentally, physically, militarily, and in terms of faith, we will all be his soldiers, Allah willing. Hence, the Al-Mahdi Army is a matter of faith, and it cannot be disbanded.
[...]Interviewer: What is the strategic goal of the Al-Mahdi Army?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: At present, it is to liberate Iraq, and to defend the Iraqi people in times of crisis, and at the moment Iraq is in a crisis – it is occupied – and should be liberated.
Interviewer: So you state clearly that the goal of the Al-Mahdi Army is...
Muqtada Al-Sadr: To defend Iraq. I never have and never will deny this.
Interviewer: So you continue with this?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: Of course, and if I’m not around – if I am killed, if I die, retire, or whatever – the goal of the Al-Mahdi Army will remain the liberation of Iraq.
[...]
There are plans to divide Iraq – to divide what has already been divided, if I may say so. The Al-Sadr movement must oppose this, and strive to maintain the unity of the Iraqi land and people under any circumstances. Another important goal is to make society religious, rather than secular. People keep talking about an “Islamic government” and so on. What is more important is to make society, not just the government, Islamic. An Islamic government without an Islamic society cannot...[...]
Displacement of responsibility alert:
Interviewer: Do you fear there will be more sectarian violence in Iraq in the near future? I am not talking about the resistance, but about internal violence.Muqtada Al-Sadr: Sectarian violence? It’s possible, because the Americans are in Iraq, and they are constantly touching on this sensitive spot – Shiites against Sunnis, Kurds against Arabs... They are always... I have seen this on TV or somewhere... The Americans are responsible even for the car bombs.
[...]
The Al-Sadr movement is Islamic even more than it is Iraqi. An attack against any Islamic country or people will mean that the Al-Sadr movement will become an interested party.
Interviewer: In what way?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: It will defend Islam however necessary. It will do whatever it can at the time. If any Islamic or Arab country is attacked, the Al-Sadr movement will be an interested party.
[...]
Obviously, I am close to the Shiites ideologically, but politically, I am close to the Sunnis and the decisions they make. Many of the decisions of the Al-Sadr movement correspond to those of the Sunnis.
[...]
Interviewer: How do you view Iran’s role in Iraq, and what are your relations with the Iranian leadership?
Muqtada Al-Sadr: First of all, I don’t do anything in secret. It is all out in the open. I try to maintain good relations with everybody. With regard to the Iranians and the Iranian Republic... In a previous meeting with Khamenei, during a pilgrimage, I told him that we share the same ideology, but that politically and militarily, I would not be an extension of Iran, and that there were negative things that Iran was doing in Iraq. I mentioned to him a few things that Iran needs to rectify with regard to Iraq. Iran committed mistakes that it should not have made.
Posted by Robert at April 1, 2008 1:20 PM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
|
What is that on his bookshelf?
Posted by: silent_rage![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 1, 2008 2:04 PM
Hmmmm no mention that the democratically elected government wants us there.
Posted by: Elric66 at April 1, 2008 2:09 PM
Question: What do Muqtada al-Sadr and the handsaw in my garage have in common?
Answer: Both are complete tools with bad teeth.
Posted by: Lori B. at April 1, 2008 2:13 PM
Why do I always picture this man on a platter with an apple in his mouth every time I see a photo of him?
Posted by: rational at April 1, 2008 2:18 PM
Did he faithfully use his miswaak?
Or is that the problem?
http://www.islam.tc/Miswaak/
at April 1, 2008 2:23 PM
Actually, I think he looks just like Mo-bomb-head on JW's home page.
If this guy is sincere in defending one's home land with arms against occupiers, he won't mind at all if we keep that in mind as we come across his groupies in our own countries as they continue to train for jihad, drive their cars into university eating areas, shoot our people at shopping malls or continue getting caught with bomb making materials in their cars (unbeknownst to them, of course.)
Tit for tat.
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at April 1, 2008 2:27 PM
Hi Robert,
Iraqi blogger Layla Anwar debunked Muqti's al Jazeera interview: Debunking Muqti
at April 1, 2008 2:41 PM
Oh by the way, as John Agresto noted in Mugged By Reality, there isn't much difference between Muqti's and Ayatollah Sitani's visions of an Islamic Iraq. And he was right.
Posted by: Mister Ghost at April 1, 2008 2:47 PM
Which we'll counter by making our societies more aware of it's good values - freedom of publication (unconditionally protected by the governments, right?), freedom for women, the Rule of Law, science and enlightenment.
Islam is just a pyramid game for political power. Only makes sense for those on the top.
Posted by: Henrik at April 1, 2008 3:00 PM
The liberation of Iraq does not mean only bearing arms. There is also cultural liberation, social liberation, military liberation, and so on. The assault against Islam is not only military. It is both cultural and military, and it requires, at any given period, diversification of the resistance. But the liberation of Iraq remains a national duty, and a primary goal of the Al-Sadr movement.
So what is it that our leadership doesn't understand about this? If we're just there to dork around, let's leave. If we're there to win, let's do it.
The best place for the Al-Mahdi Movement, and Muqtada Al-Sadr in particular is the end of a DNA swab, posthaste.
at April 1, 2008 3:05 PM
US continuing to assist these ungrateful monsters while they are viewed occupiers.
But the surge is working !
Posted by: Sneakyzionistcrusader at April 1, 2008 3:18 PM
Finally, a picture of the old boy where he is not picking his nose or scratching his groin. This guy makes a pig look refined.
Posted by: TheOmegaMan at April 1, 2008 3:24 PM
And why have they let this guy live? He is openly supporting and encouraging the aggressive actions in Iraq. Is he hiding in his rathole?
He is nothing but Ahmadinejad's puppet.
Posted by: R_not at April 1, 2008 3:34 PM
Well, what the hell, look under every rock and behind every tree. Terminate with extreme prejudice . So commands the Qur'ran as the end of every pig.
Posted by: spinoneone at April 1, 2008 3:42 PM
"An attack against any Islamic country or people will mean that the Al-Sadr movement will become an interested party."
OHHH we are sooo scared! Did you see the photos of these fat jihadi Sadr followers? They are big fat idiots just like their leader, Sadr. They fawn all over him, grabbing his robe and acting like they are 'in luv' with him. The freaks!
Posted by: TS at April 1, 2008 3:42 PM
Why do all these guys look like Sith Lords? I'm just sayin'...
Posted by: antishock8 at April 1, 2008 3:45 PM
Hi Isabella
The nabi was just thinking the same thing. This guy looks exactly like Bomb Hat mo!
nabi ZK
Posted by: zonie kafir at April 1, 2008 4:26 PM
Do you know why this loser wears a black turban?
Because he's a "direct descendent of Mohammed!"
RIGHT! LOL!
Posted by: darcy at April 1, 2008 7:03 PM
Hi Nabi! Hi Darcy!
Posted by: Isabellathecrusader at April 1, 2008 7:37 PM
Hi Isabella! And thanks for defending me on the Pat Condell thread (near the bottom). Go and see what I wrote.
P.S. I'd love to have Loser al-Sadr's e-mail (that the Infidels invented, Loser al-Sadr!) and tell him exactly what I think of him and his stupid black turban!
I'm not afraid of that devil.
Posted by: darcy at April 1, 2008 7:57 PM
It seems you can never find the Flypaper when you need it.
Another Skunk who wants everyone to know he is around. I swear, NPR was just about swooning in its sweetness the other day. Is this turning out to be another one of those non win-wins? Where the Deaths in Basra are People, while an American Hellfire Missile only ever kills Civilians, Including Children. Apparently, despite all the Eyes on target and verification procedures needed to launch the thing, we still cannot seem to get it right. At least for...
Posted by: flowerknife_us at April 1, 2008 8:08 PM
Actually darcy, he probably is a descendant of Muhammad, as are you - and I.
Muhammad is probably an ancestor, through many different paths, of every white person on the planet. I am guessing he is for the Arabs too.
He is an ancestor of Europeans through the royalty of Spain, IIRC.
Likewise everyone in the West is a descendant of Charlemagne (and by extension Charles Martel).
This might not be accurate, but if it is here is one of the lines for me (I stop it at my dad's paternal grandmother to protect the innocent):
Charles Martel
Pippin the Short
Charlemagne
Louis I of France
Lothar I of Italy
Lotharius II of Lorraine (the Saxon)
Bertha of Lorraine
Boso of Arles
Willa of Arles
Aldelbert of Lombardy
Otto William of Lombardy
Gerberga of Burgundy
Geoffrey d'Arles
Gerberga de Provence
Etienette de Gevaudan
Bertrand I des Baux
Bertrand II des Baux
Raymond des Baux
Guillaume des Baux
Barrale des Baux
Foulques II de Ponteves
Barral II des Ponteves
Isnard de Ponteves
Blancas de Ponteves
Antoine I de Ponteves
Antoine II de Ponteves
Tanneguy de Ponteves
Marguerite de Ponteves
Demoiselle Louise de Porcelet
Demoiselle Louise Montcalm de Saint-Veran
Louise de Vabres
Demoiselle Jeanne Belcastel
Gabrielle Barjon
Jean-Pierre Bondurant
Elizabeth Ann Bondurant
James Ford, Jr.
Elisha Ford
Mary Ford
James R. Burnett
Martha Ann Burnett
As a matter of fact, if you go back far enough in time you find that everyone living now is descended from everyone living then, provided that they have any surviving descendants at all.
It's a fascinating concept involving genealogy and powers of two called Most Recent Common Ancestor.
Don't tell the muslims that all the white kuffar are descended from Muhammad though. That might be considered blasphemy.
Posted by: non-croyant at April 1, 2008 8:22 PM
What do al Sadr and a bad penny have in common?
Both seem to keep coming back and both need to be taken out of circulation.
Same goes for Nasrallah over in Lebanon.
Posted by: A_Plague_on_Both_Houses at April 1, 2008 8:45 PM
Posted by: A_Plague_on_Both_Houses at April 1, 2008 8:45 PM
Long time no speak brother. I of course agree with you 150% on your observations.
at April 1, 2008 11:04 PM
Occupiers are we? Then let's kick their butts out of Africa and SE Asia, where they are the occupiers. he says it is just to resist the occupiers.
Posted by: lightlysalted at April 2, 2008 12:33 AM
Good. Let's install him as Head Nut in Charge, declare victory, and leave that crap hole. It's obvious that those "people" require a Stalinistic strong man to lead them, so he should be our guy.
Posted by: Bingo
at April 2, 2008 4:21 AM
I wonder if Al-Sadr is paid by David Rockefeller.
Posted by: Foehammer at April 3, 2008 11:34 AM
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)