Iraqi protesters cease violence

Iraq’s Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday told his followers to lay down their weapons and leave the “Green Zone” where Iraq’s government buildings reside. “If you don’t withdraw,” al-Sadr said in the televised news conference, “then I will disavow you.” Within minutes, protesters could be seen obeying his instructions. Riots erupted after the cleric announced his retirement from politics. His followers had stormed the Iraqi parliament building at the end of July to prevent the formation of an Iran-backed government.

What does Iran have to do with this? Iran is a majority Shiite nation, which is atypical in the Middle East. Many Shiite groups in Iraq seek alignment with Iran. Muqtada al-Sadr, whose party holds the largest share of seats in the country’s parliament, refuses to cooperate with Iran or Iranian-backed groups. Al-Sadr’s followers say that they believe the cleric will revolutionize a political system that has neglected them.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s column from the WORLD archives about protests that took place in Iraq in 2020—and kept taking place despite government crackdowns.