A major Shiite cleric, Sayed Abdul Majid Al-Khoei, was hacked to death in Najaf. Reconciliation with Haider al-Kadar, a member of Saddam's Ministry of Religion, was apparently an unpopular move.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=395996
He is/was featured as one of the voices of freedom by the State Department.
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/voices/voicesb.htm
The cleric backed the US and UK on Afghanistan.
http://www.cwnews.com/Browse/2001/10/16562.htm
This influence play is getting complicated. Who is Mohammed Braga al Saddar? Or more to the point, what does he believe and who does he side with?
Awesome sentiment! I totally agree with you!
Posted by: fleshlight at September 18, 2004 01:40 PM
Al-Khoei was the relative and mentor of one of the notable imams here in Southern California. He's been on KPCC several times over the past few weeks. Just about all of the Iraqis we've heard about, especially those who are politically active, have backed the military action on public radio.
Many of them are now second-guessing their willingness to return to Iraq because of the recent violence.
Shiapundit issued a lanat against defilers of the shrine at Najaf, and they weren't the Americans.
Posted by: mbowen at April 11, 2003 08:25 PM