One Year Since the Killing of Seyyed Abdul-Majid Khoei, Shiite Cleric of Iraq

One year has passed since the killing of Seyyed Abdul-Majid Khoei, a Shiite cleric from Iraq. He was attacked and killed on April 10, just a few days after returning to Iraq from exile in London, at the shrine of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf. Seyyed Abdul-Majid Khoei was born into a prominent Shiite clerical family that advocated for dialogue among the various religions in Iraq. Growing up in Najaf, he witnessed firsthand the brutality and cruelty of Saddam Hussein's regime. In 1991, he was forced into exile. However, as soon as Iraq was liberated, he returned with the hope of helping his fellow Iraqis rebuild the country. About 24 individuals are suspected of involvement in Seyyed Abdul-Majid Khoei's murder. Mustafa Youssef is among the 12 people who have been arrested so far. He is an assistant to Muqtada al-Sadr, an extremist Shiite cleric whose terrorist thugs have attacked coalition forces and Iraqi citizens. On April 5, coalition officials announced that an Iraqi investigative judge had issued an arrest warrant for Muqtada al-Sadr. Coalition officials stated that this warrant could be executed at any time. Dan Senor, spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority, says that violence in Iraq will not be tolerated and adds that today in Iraq, the discussion is not between two ethnic groups or two regions, but between moderates and extremists, and there is no place for extremists in Iraq. President Bush states that individuals like Muqtada al-Sadr want to decide the future of Iraq through force. In this specific incident, Sadr is the one who chooses to resort to violence instead of allowing democracy to flourish in Iraq. This is something we cannot allow. President Bush says that extremists want to break our will and adds that we have taken tough actions in Iraq. However, we will continue to move forward. We will do what is right. We will ensure that a free Iraq rises, not just for our own security but for free nations everywhere. President Bush conveys the message to the people of Iraq that they should not be afraid; America will stand behind them and will not flee.