Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir

Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir is an Iraqi politician and a member of parliament in the Badr Organisation. He is the most senior representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Baghdad [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/29/wirq229.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/29/ixnewstop.html Most powerful man in nation's politics will not be in government] , "The Daily Telegraph", 2005-01-29, accessed on 2007-07-03] Prior to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq he was the chairman of the Paris Mosque in France. [ [http://www.islamicvoice.com/october.99/news.htm#FRA 6,000 Mosques in France] , Islamic Voice (magazine), 1999-10-01, accessed on 2007-07-02]

He is the imam of the Shi'a Buratha Mosque in Baghdad. [ [http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2414/Fresh_Details_Revealed_on_Dulaimi_Charges Fresh Details Revealed on Dulaimi Charges] , "IraqSlogger", 2007-04-18]

In March 2005 he condemned the government of Jordan after a suicide bombing blamed on a Jordanian national. He said "all of Jordan is a weapon to be used against Iraq, especially against the Shia". [ [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/64549cf0-9a76-11d9-a094-00000e2511c8.html Jordan moves to resolve dispute with Iraq] , "Financial Times", 2005-03-22, accessed on 2007-07-03]

In May 2005 he was appointed to the committee that drafted the Constitution of Iraq.

In December 2005 he was elected to the Iraqi Council of Representatives on the United Iraqi Alliance list.

In April 2006 three suicide bombers killed at least 69 people in an attack at the Buratha Mosque. al-Saghir accused Sunni politicians and clerics of waging "a campaign of distortions and lies against the mosque". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4881194.stm Life in Iraq: Day at a glance] , "BBC", 2006-04-07]

Two months later he was the target of another suicide bomber from al-Qaeda in Iraq, who killed 13 people when he blew himself up in the mosque. [ [http://www.worldnewsaustralia.com.au/region.php?id=129774&region=6 BOMB BLAST HITS MOSQUE] , "World News Australia", 2006-06-17, accessed on 2007-07-02]

In October 2006 he was one of the senior Iraqi clerics who prepared the Mecca Declaration condemning sectarian violence. [ [http://www.oic-oci.org/journal/newsletter2006/newsletter-web2.htm#OIC%20preparing OIC preparing reconciliation document between Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites] , "Organization of the Islamic Conference", 2006-10-11, accessed on 2007-07-03]

In November 2006 he clashed in Parliament with Sunni Arab leader Adnan al-Dulaimi, which was shown on live television. He claimed Shiites in some areas were enduring violence that was driving them towards militias and "opening the gates of hell", and that Sunni Arab parliamentarians were inciting the violence. [ [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PAR148106.htm Sectarian accusations fly in Iraq's parliament] , "Reuters", 2006-11-21, accessed on 2007-07-03]

In February 2007 the Buratha Mosque was searched by Iraqi Special Forces as part of the Baghdad Security Plan after complaints that the mosque was a base for sectarian death squads. [ [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/833/re1.htm Worse expected yet] , "Al Ahram", 2007-02-22, accessed on 2007-07-02]

In 2007 he was appointed to the parliamentary committee charged with agreeing amendments to the Constitution of Iraq.

External links

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References