Muqtada Al-Sadr condemns Quran burning by US congressional candidate, warns of ‘divine punishment’

NAJAF – Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday denounced a video showing a U.S. congressional candidate burning a copy of the Quran, warning Western nations of “divine punishment.”

In a statement on his X account, al-Sadr said, “Once again the West bares its fangs and declares its hatred against the divine Islamic religion by burning a copy of the great Quran.” He called the act one that “incites hatred” and violates the “beliefs of millions.”

Al-Sadr criticized silence from other faith leaders, writing: “What is surprising is the silence of our counterparts in religion, lovers of the divine religions, about this shameful criminal act.”

He also argued that such incidents highlight Western double standards, saying, “God has refused except to expose the falsity of your freedoms and your reckless democracy, which you apply with double standards.”

Addressing the West directly, he added: “O backward ones, your iron domes and slings will not benefit you if divine punishment comes upon you. So wait, I am with you among the waiters.”

The video referenced by al-Sadr shows Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate in Texas’s 31st Congressional District for the 2026 elections, burning a copy of the Quran with a flamethrower while