Sadr tells followers to halt protests, restrict response to social media

NAJAF — Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr on Tuesday ordered his followers to halt all protests and avoid armed displays, directing them instead to respond only through social media amid rising tensions following allegations of an assassination plot.

“To block the corrupt and ward off the sedition they are seeking… all armed appearances are prohibited, even for Saraya Al-Salam [his movement’s armed wing], except in areas of direct contact with terrorism,” Al-Sadr said in a statement. “Gatherings and demonstrations, even peaceful ones, are also prohibited unless directly ordered by us.”

The announcement came a day after Al-Sadr made a rare public appearance at the shrine of his father, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, in Najaf. His visit followed large rallies by supporters in Basra sparked by claims of a drone plot to kill the cleric.

“Whoever wants to respond to the fabrications of the corrupt should do so through social media,” Al-Sadr said. “Any verbal abuse directed at me does not require a response (for now). I have entrusted my affairs to God, His Messenger, and His Household… God is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs.”

He warned that any violations by members of Saraya Al-Salam or the broader movement would not be tolerated. “Any violation… will open the door to punishment, for such a person is either ignorant or infiltrating. So obey and do not be among the disobedient.”

The unrest was sparked by journalist Ali Fadel, who claimed in a YouTube program that lawmaker Yasser Al-Maliki and leaders of Shiite armed factions supported a drone plot to assassinate Al-Sadr. Al-Maliki denied the allegations, calling them “slanders and lies” aimed at obstructing reconciliation and inciting unrest.