AFP is reporting via Khaleej Times that Sadr supporters demonstrated outside Sistani’s home today.
NAJAF, Iraq – About 200 supporters of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr demonstrated outside the office and residence of Iraq’s most respected Shiite religious leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Wednesday, chanting “No, no, America, No, no, Israel, No, no, occupation” and “No, no, agents”.
The demonstrators, marching up and down Rasul Street accompanied by several armed men of Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia, also started shouting “We don’t want religious leaders keeping silent and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms”.
I hope Juan Cole or someone equally knowledgeable will comment on this development. I find it difficult to understand. If Ayatollah Sistani is the most important cleric in the Shi’a world, why are these cheeky Sadr supporters able to demonstrate outside his house and yell at him? Wouldn’t this start a street fight with Sistani supporters? Apparently not. And then, as if this isn’t confusing enough, this happened:
On Wednesday, an unidentified official came out of Sistani’s office and said, “Expect all of Iraq to rise tomorrow” in response to Sistani’s call against armed men in the holy cities.
Sistani’s home was fired upon on Monday and the half dozen armed guards visible outside his office Wednesday were on high alert as the demonstration went on.
Some demonstrators carried pictures of Sadr and chanted: “No one can defeat Sadr. We are his foot soldiers.”
Despite Sistani’s call for people not to come to Najaf, Shiite mosques in Baghdad called on Tuesday night for the faithful to go to the holy city to join a demonstration Wednesday against the US-led occupation.
OK, so all Iraq is rising up on Thursday? This is coming from Sistani, after all. And, what’s up with the mosques in Baghdad issuing instructions in direct contrast to Sistani’s instructions of yesterday?