No comeback for al-Sadr: Our silence is speech

Shafaq News/ Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM) leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Thursday reaffirmed his withdrawal from Iraq’s political process.

Speaking in Najaf during a ceremony commemorating the 1999 assassination of his father, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, and two brothers, al-Sadr launched a scathing critique of the political elite. “Our silence is speech, and the hearts of the corrupt are now in our hands.”

Al-Sadr urged his supporters to follow his father’s legacy and reject what he called “false sheikhs,” distancing himself from dominant political factions. “As long as corruption exists, I will not participate in any crippled election that serves sectarian and partisan interests while ignoring the people’s suffering.”

He reiterated a call for his followers to abstain from both voting and running for office, describing participation as an “aid to sin,” adding, “We remain loyal to Iraq and will sacrifice for it without hesitation.”

His remarks followed speculation of a political comeback, sparked by recent calls for his supporters to update their voter registration records. Multiple political blocs have reportedly sent envoys to Najaf in recent months to assess al-Sadr’s position ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

Al-Sadr’s bloc won 73 seats in the 2021 elections but resigned from parliament in June 2022 after his effort to form a government collapsed. A populist cleric with a large grassroots following and a powerful paramilitary wing, al-Sadr has remained an influential figure in Iraq’s political landscape despite his formal withdrawal.