Sadr’s Supporters Throng Baghdad Streets in Show of Strength

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr perform a collective Friday prayer in Sadr City, east of Baghdad on July 15, 2022. (AFP)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr perform a collective Friday prayer in Sadr City, east of Baghdad on July 15, 2022. (AFP)
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Sadr’s Supporters Throng Baghdad Streets in Show of Strength

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr perform a collective Friday prayer in Sadr City, east of Baghdad on July 15, 2022. (AFP)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr perform a collective Friday prayer in Sadr City, east of Baghdad on July 15, 2022. (AFP)

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's followers thronged the streets of Baghdad on Friday, answering the populist leader's call to a mass prayer in a show of strength to his political rivals.

Sadr, a Shiite whose party came first in a general election in October, has vowed to disband Iraqi militia groups loyal to Iran and to hold corrupt Iraqi politicians to account.

But the mercurial leader ordered all 74 of his lawmakers - around a quarter of the parliament - to resign last month after his attempts failed to form a government free of Iran-backed parties that have dominated many state institutions for years.

Divisions between Sadr and the Iran-aligned groups as well as Kurds vying for the post of Iraqi president have already forced the country into its second-longest period without an elected government. The country is currently being run by the outgoing government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Iraqi officials, especially those close to Iran, fear Sadr will now use his large popular following of mainly working-class Shiites to disrupt attempts to form a government, or to threaten to bring down future leaders with protests.

"We could be millions strong today," said Riyadh Husseini, 42, a manual laborer from the southern town of Hilla who travelled to Baghdad and slept on the street overnight in front of the podium where he hoped Sadr would appear.

"If Sadr calls for the removal of the corrupt parties in power, they'll be gone within the hour," Husseini said.

Loyalists from across southern and central Iraq attended the Friday prayer in stifling summer heat in Sadr City, the vast Baghdad district where millions of Sadr's followers live.

Sadr did not attend the prayer, despite rumors he would deliver a fiery address.

Instead, a representative reiterated Sadr's calls for the next government to disband militia groups loyal to Iran and punish corrupt politicians for squandering Iraq's vast oil wealth, which Iraqi officials and independent analysts view as directed at his arch rival former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

"It's not possible to form a strong Iraqi government with unlawful militias. You must dissolve those all those factions," the representative, Mahmoud al-Jayashi, said, adding, "the first step to repentance is to punish the corrupt without delay".

The task of forming a government now falls to Sadr's Iran-aligned rivals and the country's Sunni and Kurdish parties.

One foot in power

Before withdrawing his lawmakers, Sadr had pushed for a coalition with Sunni and Kurdish allies to form what he called a national majority government - a euphemism for a government free of Iran-backed parties.

Many Iraqis blame those groups for mismanaging the country since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Sadr distances himself from day-to-day politics and does not run for office, but has always kept one foot in power.

His politicians still control hundreds of powerful jobs across the government, including ministerial and civil servant posts.

On Friday, some of those who spent hours in the heat to see Sadr were disappointed he did not show up - several young men privately complained, but declined to give their names.

Others said they had faith that Sadr has a strategy.

"Sadr was here watching us. Loyalty is about answering his call," said Safaa al-Baghdadi, a 42-year-old religious instructor who works in the southern city of Najaf.

"His message to the political establishment is to disband the militias who killed Iraqis," he said, referring to mass anti-government, anti-corruption protests in 2019 when police and militias shot hundreds of peaceful demonstrators.

"He's also telling Iraqis - if you rise up, I'll support you. We'll do whatever he says."



Malaysia Calls for Rejection of Forced Palestinian Displacement Plan

The Malaysian Foreign Minister attending the recent OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Makkah (Asharq Al-Awsat).
The Malaysian Foreign Minister attending the recent OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Makkah (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Malaysia Calls for Rejection of Forced Palestinian Displacement Plan

The Malaysian Foreign Minister attending the recent OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Makkah (Asharq Al-Awsat).
The Malaysian Foreign Minister attending the recent OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Makkah (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Kuala Lumpur has stressed the need for unified condemnation of a plan aimed at annexing Gaza and forcibly displacing the Palestinian people, urging nations with influence over Israel to push for a resolution to the crisis.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers’ meeting in Makkah on Friday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan called on major global powers and institutions to denounce the displacement plan.
Hasan expressed hope that the OIC, in coordination with UN agencies and other international bodies, could advance a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction plan for war-torn countries such as Lebanon and Syria. He also reaffirmed confidence in Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in driving collective action forward.
Malaysia, he added, will coordinate with like-minded nations to facilitate emergency relief efforts, capacity-building initiatives, and medium- to long-term reconstruction projects, particularly in Gaza and potentially beyond.
The minister further stated that his country remains committed to achieving a just, lasting, and sustainable peace for Palestine. He reiterated Malaysia’s strong support for early recovery, reconstruction, and development in Gaza, in line with Egypt’s proposal at the Extraordinary Arab Summit for Palestine held in Cairo on March 4, 2025.
He noted that Kuala Lumpur urges all OIC members to fully back this initiative, stressing that a permanent solution is essential to establishing an independent Palestinian state. This, he emphasized, should be based on a two-state solution in accordance with international law and UN resolutions, with East Jerusalem as its capital along the pre-1967 borders.
The foreign minister underscored that the establishment of a Palestinian state would bring much-needed peace and stability to the region, particularly in Lebanon and Syria. He also stressed the right of all displaced Palestinians, whether in Egypt, Jordan, or elsewhere, to return to their homeland.
Hasan condemned any call for the forced displacement of Palestinians or the annexation of Gaza, describing it as not only “unrealistic and impractical” but also as an act of “ethnic cleansing and a grave violation of international law.” Such measures, he argued, constitute a direct affront to justice and human rights.
“The proposal has faced near-universal rejection,” he said, “strongly opposed by countries worldwide and, above all, by Arab and Islamic communities. The urgency of this crisis is precisely why the Arab and Islamic world has come together to take decisive action.”
Malaysia, he added, has consistently condemned Israel’s war and its violations against Palestinians, as well as Tel Aviv’s persistent attempts to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. He reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to multilateralism, respect for international law, and the UN system.
Saudi-Malaysian Relations: Stronger Than Ever
On the state of bilateral ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, Hasan described the relationship as “stronger than ever,” citing regular high-level engagement between the two nations. He noted that he maintains close communication with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, with both countries recently intensifying cooperation in key sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, infrastructure, and science and technology.
To ensure effective collaboration, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have established the Saudi-Malaysian Coordination Council (SMCC), co-led by the two foreign ministers. The council is responsible for planning, managing, and overseeing the implementation of strategic initiatives within a structured timeframe, ensuring tangible progress in areas of mutual interest.