Latest news with #Sadrist
Shafaq News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Al-Nasr warns: Iraq's political map hinges on November elections
Shafaq News/ The upcoming parliamentary elections will be the key determinant of Iraq's next government and the fate of the State Administration Coalition (SAC), al-Nasr Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said on Sunday. Coalition spokesperson Salam al-Zubaidi told Shafaq News that speculation about the shape of the next cabinet is premature and should be left to the post-election landscape. 'Everything depends on what the ballot boxes yield. Current discussions are purely personal opinions, as no such proposals have been formally addressed within the Coordination Framework's meetings,' he said. Al-Zubaidi emphasized that the structure of Iraq's future government will be shaped by voter turnout and how political leaders form alliances after results are in. 'The current SAC is not a traditional political alliance but rather a coordination body established amid the vacuum created by the Sadrist withdrawal,' he noted, adding that the upcoming vote could either dissolve or reconfigure the coalition. He warned that low voter turnout could lead to the continued dominance of powerful blocs, keeping the political status quo intact. 'But if emerging or independent forces win enough seats, the landscape could change significantly,' he said. Iraq is preparing for legislative elections scheduled for November 11, 2025, with political parties launching preparations as early as April. According to Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), 106 political parties and 10 independent lists have registered interest in participating, alongside nine political coalitions, with one newly approved so far.
Shafaq News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Poisoned and suspicious: Al-Sadr slams Abrahamic religion initiative
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Patriotic Shiite Movement (Sadrist) leader Muqtada al-Sadr denounced, on Wednesday, the Abrahamic religion initiative, labeling it a 'poisoned and unconstructive project.' The initiative, also known as the Abrahamic family or Abrahamic religions project, seeks to foster interfaith dialogue and promote peaceful coexistence among the three monotheistic religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism). However, al-Sadr described it, in a statement, as a 'suspicious undertaking' that threatens to blur the doctrinal boundaries of the world's major monotheistic faiths. While acknowledging earlier conversations with proponents of the concept, he firmly rescinded any prior endorsement, outlining six conditions he believes are 'essential for genuine religious unity.' Chief among them is the recognition of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as distinct, divinely inspired religions, each deserving full respect without being absorbed into a generalized or hybrid framework. Al-Sadr emphasized that the preservation of religious law and doctrine is 'non-negotiable,' warning against legislation that undermines sacred teachings. He also called for legal protections against blasphemy, urging the criminalization of offenses against prophets and saints. 'Those who do not recognize their sanctity cannot speak credibly of unity.' He further demanded international safeguards for religious texts, stating, 'Honoring a religion includes respecting its sacred texts.' Criticizing the initiative's philosophical foundation, al-Sadr accused its architects of attempting to dilute authentic Abrahamic traditions for the sake of a politically convenient construct. He pledged to release a comprehensive rebuttal exposing what he described as the 'flawed and deceptive logic' driving the project, cautioning against any attempt to impose it on societies without clear theological legitimacy. 'How can there be interfaith unity while wars rage, especially in Myanmar and Palestine? Stopping the bloodshed must come before advancing projects driven by narrow political interests,' he concluded.
Shafaq News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq elections: Al-Sadr's boycott 'Not Final'
Shafaq News/ The leader of Iraq's Patriotic Shiite Movement (Sadrist), Muqtada al-Sadr, is considering an indirect path to participate in the November parliamentary elections, a source close to him revealed on Monday. Speaking to Shafaq News, the source indicated that al-Sadr's election boycott is 'not final' and could shift based on political developments over the next two months. 'Plans are being discussed within al-Sadr's inner circle in al-Hanana [al-Sadr's headquarters in Najaf] to form a Sadrist-aligned electoral list—similar to the 'Sairoon' alliance previously used—without his direct endorsement,' the source clarified, pointing out that the list could be registered shortly before the nomination deadline. Last March, al-Sadr announced his decision to refrain from participating in the elections, reaffirming his 2022 withdrawal from politics after his bloc's resignation from parliament over corruption allegations. However, speculation over his potential return has persisted. His call for supporters to update their voter registrations and quiet outreach efforts by several political blocs to gauge his position have fueled renewed discussion about his possible involvement.
Iraqi News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Al-Hakim: There is a national interest in opening up to Syria
Baghdad-INA The leader of Hikma Movement, Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim, affirmed on Wednesday that there is a national interest in Iraq's purposeful openness with Syria. He explained that the host country of the Arab Summit does not choose its guests, but within the Arab League protocol. During a session at the Seen Dialogue Forum, attended by an Iraqi News Agency (INA) correspondent, Al-Hakim said, "Iraq has succeeded in neutralizing the country and distancing itself from involvement in the regional war." He noted that "Iraq has good relations with Iran and the United States, and it is the primary beneficiary of any understanding between the two parties." Regarding the elections, Al-Hakim explained that "the election law in Iraq supports middle-level forces, not large lists. Therefore, the Coordination Framework decided to enter the elections alone and then form alliances." He explained that "the election law is changing because we are in a young democracy, and we discussed within the State Coalition the 2022 election law to be a fixed law for all electoral processes and a unified law for parliament and the governorates." "We want a fair election law that gives each entity and bloc its due, and we believe that the current law is good," stressing that "there is no chance of amending the election law." Al-Hakim said. He explained, "We have an interest in the participation of all political forces in the electoral process. If a political party does not participate in the political process, its vision must be respected, and we must advise it. We are pleased with the Sadrist movement's participation in the elections." He noted that "there are 300 parties licensed to date in the commission, and there is great diversity." Regarding the Syrian situation, Al-Hakim emphasized that "most countries have dialogue and interests with Syria and Iraq. This dialogue must be continuous, and Iraq must play a role in the Syrian equation, with its interests being paramount." He explained that "there is an Iraqi national interest in purposeful openness with Syria." He pointed out that "the host country does not choose its guests at the Arab Summit, but rather within the Arab League protocol, and we extend the invitation to all members."
Rudaw Net
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Sadr rejects Iraqi president's appeal to join elections
Also in Iraq Iraqi forces disrupt ISIS fuel network in Anbar Kurd appointed mayor of disputed Tuz Khurmatu district Baghdad summons Lebanese envoy over president's PMF remarks KRG delegation to visit Baghdad Saturday for oil export talks: Oil minister A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Friday rejected a formal call from President Abdul Latif Rashid to reverse his decision to boycott upcoming legislative elections. 'I did not participate and will not participate with the corrupt, the insolent, and the enemies of the people,' Sadr said, noting that many people cast ballots in previous votes to elect 'thieves of money that has not been recovered to this day.' In March he announced that his movement would boycott the 2025 elections in protest of corruption. Rashid issued a letter on Wednesday, published by state media on Friday, urging the influential cleric and his National Shiite Movement to rejoin political life through the November 11 elections. 'We affirm that this movement and all that will result from it will remain incomplete if the National Shiite Movement does not participate in the elections and contribute effectively to parliamentary life and support state institutions,' read the letter. 'We call upon you, your eminence, to reverse the decision not to participate.' 'The opportunity for correction and rectification still exists, awaiting the efforts of those who are good,' the presidential letter added. Local media have speculated that Sadr's camp was advocating for postponing the elections and forming an emergency government - claims Sadr denied in his response on Friday. The Sadrists emerged as the top force in Iraq's October 2021 parliamentary elections, securing 73 seats in the 329-member Iraqi legislature. However, they failed in their effort to establish a 'national majority' government together with Sunni Arab and Kurdish allies. The rival Shiite-led Coordination Framework then insisted on the post-2003 norm of establishing a consensus government. The deadlock ultimately prompted the Sadrist lawmakers to resign en masse. Sadr last May renamed his movement the National Shiite Movement, a move that was widely interpreted as a precursor to re-entering politics. In mid-February, Sadr urged his supporters to update their voter registration records. However, a former Sadrist lawmaker, Rafi Abduljabbar Azzawi, told Rudaw at the time that the cleric's request 'does not necessarily indicate a shift in his stance on participating in Iraq's upcoming elections, but rather to urge Iraqis to take a stand in the critical period ahead.'
