On October 10, 2023, Iraqi Shi'ite populist cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr expressed his support for the "people of Gaza," pledging to send them humanitarian aid through Syria or Egypt.[1] The televised statement was his first since the beginning of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Al-Sadr, who appeared with the Iraqi and Palestinian flags, further hailed the Palestinian factions for what he described as their "jihad" against Israel, noting that he hopes to see the fall of Israel, as well as the fall of the American "entity," led by the "old senile Biden."
Further, he condemned Arab governments which normalized relations with Israel, urging them to extend support to Gazans instead.
Hailing 'Mujahideen' In Palestine
Al-Sadr began his speech by extending his congratulations to the Palestinian people and the factions taking taking part in the military operation against Israel, including Hamas and its military wing Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, as well as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
Calling faction fighters "mujahideen," he lauded their "resistance" against Israeli authorities, saying that they "humiliated the tyranny of the Zionist entity, and crushed its arrogance."
Lashing out at Arab rulers for normalizing ties with Israel, Al-Sadr accused them of abandoning the "just Palestinian cause" and trading it to maintain their power.
'Waiting To See The Collapse Of The American Entity'
He further condemned Western countries that extended support to Israel, especially the U.S., saying: "I'm not surprised by the stances of the unjust West supporting the Zionist enemy, as the Great Evil, America, along with its proxies, such as France the oppressor of revolutionaries, and Germany which advocates for immorality, have repeatedly showed us that they are [siding with] injustice, arrogance, sacrilege, and challenging Heaven."
He accused Western countries of being hypocritical, arguing that while they extend support to "oppressed" Ukraine against Russia, or certain groups in Syria, they refuse to extend support to the Palestinians.
Al-Sadr also hailed the coup in Niger and other African countries, describing them as a revolution against France and other Western powers.
Concluding, he said he is waiting to see the collapse of the United States and Israel: "Today we are waiting eagerly to see the collapse of the American entity as well, the colonist, the unjust entity which is headed by the old senile Biden."
[1] October 10, 2023.
