Iraqi cleric al-Sadr urges Sunnis and Shiites to uphold Islamic brotherhood

Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite movement, has called on Muslims to maintain unity and avoid sectarian tensions amid escalating regional instability.

According to Shafaq News, al-Sadr issued the appeal on Wednesday, March 11, warning against attempts to inflame sectarian divisions during what he described as an unprecedented escalation in the Middle East.

In his statement, al-Sadr said he had received information indicating that some individuals were trying to provoke sectarian discord by exploiting the current tensions across the region.

“I call on the conscious peoples of the region, especially the people of Iraq — both Sunnis and Shiites — to act wisely and adhere to the Islamic and Qur’anic principles of brotherhood,” he said.

Al-Sadr stressed the importance of preserving unity between Muslim communities.

“The blood of a Shiite Muslim is forbidden to a Sunni Muslim, and vice versa,” he said, urging communities to refrain from sectarian violence.

He also called on the public to recognise what he described as the scale of the threat facing the region.

“People must realise the magnitude of the threat posed by our common enemy and its extremist groups operating in different parts of the region,” al-Sadr said.

By Tamilla Hasanova