A senior Sunni cleric in Iraq has ruled out “chaos” and “major change” arising from the ongoing political stalemate in the country, Anadolu has reported. Muthanna Harith Al-Dari is the head of the Political Department of the Association of Sunni Muslim Scholars.
“What is going on in Baghdad is not surprising,” he explained. “We have said that the crisis will lead to nothing. We are used to such tension and troubles that end up with reconciliation based on the regionally- and internationally-backed political regime.”
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Al-Dari said that he had expected that leading Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr would not go ahead with his political demands, but would leave the political arena. Al-Sadr has apparently started a hunger strike in protest at the violence in Iraq. Following his announcement that he has quit politics, at least ten protesters were killed and 150 were injured when his supporters stormed the Republican Palace, the seat of the Iraqi government in Baghdad.
According to Al-Dari, the Shia cleric’s followers will take their time in the Republican Palace and parliament. “Then the situation will return to normal and the political process will continue, with all of its disadvantages and tragedies.”
He added that he expects the political deadlock to end in favour of Iraq’s Coordination Framework, a pro-Iran Shia alliance, after Tehran’s interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.