Heeding the Call of the Cleric
A day with al-Sadr's faithful reveals why the rebel leader's popularity is growing

Muqtada! Muqtada! Muqtada!" the chants of the faithful drown out the gunfire around the mosque in Kufa. Thousands have gathered to hear Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraq's best-known rebel cleric, lead Friday prayers. A fire fight is raging for control of a nearby bridge, between members of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and U.S. forces.

Al-Sadr's militia claim to be protecting the shrines from U.S. forces that have besieged the cities. U.S. commanders insist al-Sadr is a small-time threat whose appeal is limited to a ragtag bunch of angry young men. But judging by the number and intensity of worshippers thronging the mosque in Kufa, the U.S. may be underestimating the rebel leader. In fact, the more the U.S. aims its guns at al-Sadr, the more popular he seems to become. According to a recent poll, he is now second in popularity to the Grand Ayatullah Ali Husaini Sistani, the ShiÔites' spiritual leader.

The crowd at the mosque erupts when al-Sadr appears. At 30, he is pudgy and pale-faced. He stands at the lectern draped in his burial shroud, a symbol of his determination to die for his faith. He reads his address at high speed, his head down, his body occasionally rocking from side to side. Al-Sadr speaks to the crowd with no rhetorical flourishes or demagogic appeals but makes his purpose plain just the same. He takes a swipe at the ShiÔite hierarchy, which has withheld its support for his uprising. "When I die," he says, "don't let my death stop the resistance. Continue with the struggle and never disband the Mahdi Army."

Al-Sadr has experienced a remarkable shift in fortune. A couple of months ago, he was a marginal nuisance. But since launching its uprising in April, his militia has turned southern Iraq into a grinding standoff for the overwhelmingly superior coalition forces. The Mahdi Army's volunteer guerrillas come from all backgrounds: traders, butchers, farmers, students and a great many unemployed. Most are ready to die for al-Sadr because they say he is the only one who dares to stand up for Islam against the Americans. Al-Sadr's revered father, an uncle and two brothers were murdered by Saddam's regime. But in the past few months, al-Sadr has developed his own voice as the champion of millions of poor ShiÔites who feel dispossessed and disillusioned a year into the occupation.

Outside, toward evening, the fighting has stopped, and the gunmen gather to swap war stories. One slightly injured fighter stands in the back alley that leads to al-Sadr's Najaf headquarters. "A mortar round burst right by us, but no one was seriously injured, thanks be to God," he says. As he speaks, a crowd carrying a coffin draped in an Iraqi flag marches past the shrine. The first "martyr" of the day is being buried.

—from TIME, May 31, 2004

Questions

1. According to a recent poll, how popular is Muqtada al-Sadr?

2. The writer states that al-Sadr has experienced "a remarkable shift in fortune." Explain.