A Sadr City Spring

[Cowperson]

A Sadr City spring . . . . . interesting New York Times look inside what was once the most religiously radicalized neighbourhood in Baghdad. Human nature asserting itself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/30/wo...nted=1&_r=1&hp

Cowperson

[Clarkey]

That's encouraging to read. Hopefully changing ideals from the young population will force more widespread change.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Human nature asserting itself.

Much of the last seven years here have belonged to the Mahdi Army, a militia loyal to the fiery cleric Moktada al-Sadr that imposed a strict interpretation of Islam. Residents took cover in overcrowded homes; parents did not allow their sons out after dark. But as the police and Iraqi Army have taken control, Mr. Sadr has remade himself and his following as a mainstream electoral force, winning 40 seats in the national election in March.

Their power is no longer in the streets but in Parliament. In turn, the Mahdi Army, whose violence threatened to marginalize the Sadrists, is letting the locals play.

There's your human nature -- al-Sadr wants power, and when power through crackdowns by the Mahdi Army wasn't a stable strategy, he transforms himself into a populist to gain power through conventional politics.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Mike F

There's your human nature -- al-Sadr wants power, and when power through crackdowns by the Mahdi Army wasn't a stable strategy, he transforms himself into a populist to gain power through conventional politics.

Sounds like another famous Iraqi leader of not so long ago. Interestingly enough, I was going through my National Geographic collection and came across one with Saddam Hussein that promoted him as a forward thinker opposed to fundamentalism.