The “poorly understood” religious leader Muqtada

At the Center for Strategic and International Studies Nadia Bilbassy-Charters held a discussion with Patrick Cockburn, the author of “Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq.” Bilbassy-Charters is the Senior Correspondent for Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) TV, and has been with the 101st Marines Division in Kuwait as well as The Sudan People’s Liberation Army. She talked with Cockburn about his new book and the power that the “poorly understood religious leader” Muqtada holds over Iraq.

Cockburn explained that Muqtada came from a family of martyrs which gained him the empathy of most Iraqis from the streets. He quickly gained political advantage and started an enormous uprising within the Shia community of Iraq. With his help the Shia’s gained about 80 percent of Baghdad in a huge blood bath.

Cockburn also said that Muqtada could be compared to the likes of Sudam Hussein. He was so influential that Iraqis knew him by his first name, just like Sudam Hussein was simply known as Sudam. Unfortunately, Cockburn explained that when someone tries to be a “top dog” all the other “dogs” turn on him. Even Sudam had trouble ruling Iraq for long.

Cockburn also explained that there is always a doubt about the legitimacy of the state in Iraq and even men like Muqtada don’t have total control of the country. Many times the state looks powerful, but it is hard to tell if the power is really there. Cockburn said that there is also wide spread paranoia in Iraq; the Iraqis are paranoid about the Shia’s dominance and also about the ever present threat from Iran. However, Cockburn explained that Iraq has no need to fear Iran because even if there is a war between the two countries, it won’t change the political dominance that has been present for three thousand years.