Hawza backs protests calling Sadr to leave

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: Holy Najaf Hawza has supported the demonstrations being continued in the holy city for the second week ceaselessly demanding Moqtada As-Sadr and his Mehdi militia to leave Najaf.

In a statement, the Hawza fully supported the demonstrations and said Hawza understands causes of continuous demonstrations in the Holy Najaf which denounce what forces of Moqtada As-Sadr committed against Holy Haideri Shrine, sons, residents, facilities and buildings of Holy Najaf and its infrastructures, and their reckless activities of violating the sanctuaries and the sanctities until the Holy City turned to a burning destructive city and many of its residents became dead, injured, deformed, orphans and widows.

It said officials are responsible to take necessary steps for the trial of those who caused destruction of the Holy City to calm those demanding for the trial of killers and criminals regardless of wherever they are, sons of whosoever, and to which family they belong to, for the sake of justice and defeat to the falsehood.

The Hawza ended its statement with this verse of holy Quran: “wa mann azlamo mim man mana’a masajedallahi aynn Yuz`kara fi-hasmohu wa sa’aa fee kharabiha… (and who is more oppressor than him who prevents others from taking His (Allah) name in Mosques and seeks their ruin..)”

Each day, hundreds of residents of the Holy Najaf turn out to denounce Sadr. They blame him for the ruin of Holy Najaf and accuse his henchmen of slaying as many as 300 people. “Moqtada is garbage and his people are all crooks,” demonstrators chanted.

Holy Najaf residents vow they won't give up until Sadr and his followers leave.

On Thursday, police carted off three pickups filled with Kalashnikov rifles, launchers for rocket-propelled grenades, and other weapons confiscated from the basement of Sadr's Najaf office after the cleric acquiesced to a search at the request of the Ayatullah Ali Husseini As-Sistani.

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