Press Release
O People of Iraq: It is Time For You to Choose for Yourselves and Renounce the Corrupt Regime and its Puppet Leaders
(Translated)

The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced on Tuesday afternoon, August 30, 2022, in a conference broadcast by satellite channels, the end of the sit-in and the complete withdrawal from the Green Zone within one hour. This announcement came after a bloody day, during which dozens of people were killed and wounded. Al-Sadr said in his speech during the conference, looking irritated and disturbed, "I offer my apologies to the Iraqi people, and now I walk with my head down, Iraqi blood is forbidden, and the killer and the killed are in the fire regardless of who started the fighting, and now I criticize the Sadrist movement's revolution after its deviation from peacefulness.“ He continued, "There are disgraceful militias, and the movement should not be disgraceful, change your minds, and completely withdraw even from the sit-in within an hour," and concluded his speech by saying: "I will not interfere in any politics from now on, and my retirement is final and legitimate, and please do not ask me any political question."

Thus, Muqtada al-Sadr closed the curtain on events that lasted more than ten months, during which the country lived in turmoil and unrest, and it was sealed with blood, whose reward was the fire, according to his claim.

It also seems, this position of Al-Sadr came as a result of internal pressures and threats, as well as external pressures represented by Iran and the American occupier, starting with the abandonment of his reference, Kazem al-Hairi, and ending with what he called the impudent militia clashing with his followers. But what is remarkable is the media’s turning of the facts, making the defeated a victorious hero. As a result of this announcement (the declaration of the defeated loser) from the leader of the Sadrist movement, expressions of reverence and praise from all political parties poured down upon him. It calls on everyone to show courage and give priority to the interest of the country.

The fact that has become clear to every follower is that Muqtada al-Sadr is a personality that does not stick to an opinion; Because personal interests govern him as well as others, so every time he announces his withdrawal, or his boycott of the elections and the political process, then he quickly retracts his saying, after settlements have been made and guarantees are provided, and the slogans of eliminating corruption go away, and the refusal of dialogue with the corrupt and the inevitability of changing them go unheeded!

O Muslims:

What has happened and is happening is a struggle of criminals over positions, gains and thefts, and they are ready to burn the country in exchange for their interests and labor; Therefore, seeking salvation through them is running after a mirage, as they are all keen on this rotten democratic system, so they appeal to it and call for its preservation. This was confirmed by Muqtada al-Sadr himself in his speech on 3/8/2022, where he said: “I am certain that most of the people are tired of the entire ruling class, and therefore they took advantage of my presence to end corruption and the old faces will no longer exist through a peaceful revolutionary democratic process first, then an early democratic electoral process.” With this speech, the corrupt want to keep you away from the origin of the disease and the cause of the disease, to be preoccupied with changing faces, and deviate from the path of your salvation.

The time has come for you to wake up from your heedlessness, remove the veil from your eyes, and realize with certainty that there is no salvation for you except by returning to your Lord, and that: “The last of this Ummah is not changed except by what the first of it was changed.” And that is by adhering to Allah’s Deen and His Shariah, which are derived from the Book of Allah the Almighty and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace be upon him.

There is no glory or honour for you except with your religion, as the Commander of the Faithful, the Khalifah Rashid (rightly guided Caliph) Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, May Allah be pleased with him, said in his famous words: “We were a humiliating people, so Allah honoured us with Islam, so no matter how much we seek honour other than what Allah has honoured us with, Allah will humiliate us.”

To the glory of this world and the Hereafter, we invite you, O Muslims, to work for the resumption of the Islamic life, and to enforce the law of your Lord under the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) upon the method of Prophethood.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Iraq