Muslim clerics in Iraq and Iran have harshly criticized the US-led occupation of Iraq, holding Washington responsible for deepening the crisis in the region. Muqtada al-Sadr, speaking in the city of Kufa in central Iraq on Friday, called President Bush his enemy and stated that he must withdraw his troops from Iraq or face a revolution. Al-Sadr remarked that if Saddam Hussein was the pretext for war, then Mr. Bush is now fighting the Iraqi people. In Baghdad, Harith Suleiman al-Zahri, a prominent Sunni cleric, called on the people to initiate a three-day strike in protest against coalition attacks starting Saturday, labeling American-appointed politicians as traitors for siding with the occupation of Iraq. In Tehran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani condemned US operations in Iraq, stating that while Washington succeeded in toppling Saddam, it has become mired in a quagmire and has failed to achieve its objectives in Iraq, which the war has devastated.
Muslim Clerics in Iraq and Iran Criticize the US-led Occupation of Iraq - 2004-04-09
Muslim clerics in Iraq and Iran have condemned the US-led occupation of Iraq, with prominent figures like Muqtada al-Sadr and Harith Suleiman al-Zahri calling for protests and strikes. They blame the US for worsening the regional crisis and failing to achieve its goals post-Saddam. This reflects growing dissent against US policies in the region.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Muslim clerics in Iraq and Iran criticized the US-led occupation of Iraq, blaming it for worsening the regional crisis. They called for protests and strikes against the occupation and condemned the US for failing to achieve its objectives after toppling Saddam Hussein.
- Muqtada al-Sadr threatened revolution if US troops did not withdraw.
- Harith Suleiman al-Zahri called for a three-day strike in protest against coalition attacks.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 aimed to remove Saddam Hussein but resulted in widespread violence and instability, leading to a power vacuum that various factions sought to fill.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%