Imam decries militias, clashes in Sadr City

[maddezmom]

Source: CNN

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A top Iraqi political figure -- who also is an imam at a prominent Shiite mosque in the capital -- urged the abolition of militias Friday and decried violence and pervasive corruption in Baghdad's Sadr City.


Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir is a parliament member and a representative of the most influential Shiite cleric.

1 of 2 Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir, speaking at Buratha Mosque, blamed the corruption on followers of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Al-Saghir is the most senior representative in Baghdad of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, arguably the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq. As a member of Iraq's parliament, Al-Saghir represents the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, part of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.main/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[ohio2007]

1. Thats odd, normally, the MSM would say "Speaking for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani "

instead of this wording;
Al-Saghir is the most senior representative in Baghdad of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani--

Pretty much he is short of "ordering" mookie to disband the fighters or risk being arrested if he dares return to Iraq

[Igel]

2. Sistani's people have gone on record over the matter.

Sistani himself has not gone public.

Sistani's group quoted him as saying there should be only one armed faction, and that's the government as in any reasonably ordered society. He's also said that it's not his job to order that Sadr's militia be disbanded: The one who created the militia is in charge of disbanding it. The implication is clear: Sadr should disband his militia, but Sistani isn't going to order him to do so--it's the conclusion that Sadr should come to himself.

The only one who said that Sistani said it was ok for him to keep his militia was Sadr--and the first accounts essentially were, 'Sistani's refused to order it disbanded.' Only later was "didn't order it disbanded" remade into "said it should continue to exist"--not an unreasonable inference, if you only heard that little bit of what Sistani apparently said. If you heard the rest, then it's a false inference.