Muqtada al-Sadr shakes up Iraqi politics by calling for new Shite bloc
Muqtada al-Sadr’s calls to restore the "Shiite Home" were viewed as an attempt to revive the electoral Shiite alliance that cracked during recent legislative elections.
BAGHDAD — Iraq's Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr sparked wide controversy after posting a tweet Dec. 2 in which he called for the restoration of the "Shiite Home" — a call many believe carries political or electoral motives to revive the electoral Shiite alliance.
“I believe it is of pressing interest to expedite the restoration of the Shiite Home through extensive meetings to write an ideological and political honor pact," Sadr’s tweet read.
His tweet raised the ire of national parties in the country that believe it constitutes a return to square one and an entrenchment of the sectarian situation that has marked the political arena since 2003 — with the presence of a Shiite Home, a Sunni front and a Kurdish alliance.
Sairoon Alliance parliament member Riyad al-Massoudi said that “the media outlets misinterpreted Sadr’s tweet about restoring the Shiite Home." He told Al-Monitor, “Restoring the Shiite Home means revisiting mistakes made by joint Shiite parties in the rule and putting [together] an ideological honor pact to face the challenges from opposing or radical groups.” He noted that “although the Shiite political parties welcomed Sadr’s call, they will not take practical steps to discuss them, out of fear that Sadr would lead the campaign or the dialogues and influence the coming elections.”
