On Friday, populist Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to take to the streets of Baghdad to protest the burning of the Koran in Stockholm. The turnout was great, the leader has hundreds of thousands of followers and the ability to mobilize them with a single message.
His bloc won the most votes in the last parliamentary election. But after months of failed government negotiations, he announced his retirement from politics. One of Iraq’s most powerful political figures instead moved the political battles to the streets of Baghdad.
A month after the announcement, his supporters stepped right into the heavily guarded Green Zone and stormed the Iraqi parliament. Soon his forces and rival armed groups were firing rockets at each other.
“Wants to show that he has power”
When the Sadran supporters stormed the Swedish embassy on Thursday and gathered for mass protests after the Friday prayer, it was the first time in months that they were seen on the streets of Baghdad. In Iraq, it is seen not only as an expression of anger at the burning of the Koran but also as a message to the Shia leader’s political rivals.
– This is not so much about the Koran as it is about Sadr wanting to show that he still has power, says an activist in Sadr City in Baghdad.
Muqtada al-Sadr has made himself known as a conservative populist who likes to present himself as a guardian of religion. The protests in Baghdad allowed him to return to the political scene and gather followers under the slogan of defending the Koran.