Sadrist Movement

The Sadrist Movement (Arabic: التيار الصدري al-Tayyār al-Sadrī) is an Iraqi Shi'a Islamic national movement and political party, led by Muqtada al-Sadr.

Sadrist Movement التيار الصدري
Leader	Muqtada al-Sadr
Founded	2003 (2003)
Headquarters	Najaf
Ideology	Shi'a Islamism^[1] Religious conservatism^[2] Iraqi nationalism^[3]
Religion	Shi'a Islam
National affiliation	Alliance Towards Reforms (Saairun)
Seats in the Council of Representatives of Iraq:	0 / 329
Seats in the local governorate councils:	73 / 440
Website
www.jawabna.com
Politics of Iraq Political parties Elections

The Sadrist Movement ended as largest political party in the October 2021 Iraqi parliamentary election, with 73 seats in Parliament, but in June 2022, during the 2022 Iraqi political crisis, Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc resigned from parliament.^[4]

2009 governorate elections

 

Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, father of the current leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr.

During the 2009 Iraqi governorate elections Sadrists ran under the name Independent Free Movement.

Results

The list received 9.8% of the vote and 43 out of 440 seats, coming third overall to the State of Law Coalition and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.^[5][6][7]

Governorate	Percentage	Seats won	Total seats
Anbar	-	0	29
Babil	6.2%	3	30
Baghdad	9%	5	57
Basra	5%	3	35
Dhi Qar	14.1%	7	31
Diyala	3.1%	0	29
Karbala	6.8%	4	27
Maysan	14.6%	7	27
Muthanna	5.5%	2	26
Najaf	12.2%	6	28
Nineveh	-	0	37
Qadisiyyah	6.7%	3	28
Saladin	-	0	28
Wasit	6.0%	3	28
Total:	9.8%	43	440

2010 parliamentary election

During the 2010 Iraqi parliamentary election Sadrists were part of the National Iraqi Alliance.

In a press conference on 6 March 2010 ahead of the 2010 Iraqi parliamentary election, Muqtada al-Sadr called on all Iraqis to participate in the election and support those who seek the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Al-Sadr warned that any interference by the United States will be unacceptable. Al-Sadr, who has thousands of staunch followers across Iraq has consistently opposed the presence of foreign forces and repeatedly called for an immediate end to the Iraq War.^[8]

Results

Governorate	Seats won	Total seats
Anbar	-	14
Babil	5	16
Baghdad	12	68
Basra	3	24
Dhi Qar	4	18
Diyala	2	13
Dohuk	-	10
Erbil	0	14
Karbala	2	10
Kirkuk	0	12
Maysan	3	10
Muthanna	2	7
Najaf	3	12
Nineveh	0	31
Qādisiyyah	2	11
Saladin	0	12
Sulaymaniyah	-	17
Wasit	3	11
Compensatory seats	1	7
Minority seats	-	8
Total!!42!!325

Splinter factions

Over time, numerous factions in the Sadrist Movement disagreed with Muqtada al-Sadr over various issues and broke off, forming separate militias and parties:

• Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq^[9][10]
• Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces^[9][10]
• Jaysh al-Mu'ammal^[9][10]
• Tashkil al-Hussein al-Tha'ir^[9]
• Kata'ib al-Tayyar al-Risali^[9]
• Islamic Virtue Party^[9]

Involvement in the Syrian civil war

In October 2012, various Iraqi religious sects joined the conflict in Syria on both sides. Shiites from Iraq, in Babil Governorate and Diyala Governorate, have traveled to Damascus from Tehran, or from the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq, claiming to protect Sayyida Zeinab, an important Shiite shrine in Damascus.^[11] Abu Mohamed, with the Sadrist trend, said he recently received an invitation from the Sadrists' leadership to discuss the shrine in Damascus.^[11] A senior Sadrist official and former member of Parliament, said that convoys of buses from Najaf, under the cover story of pilgrims, were carrying weapons and fighters to Damascus.^[11] Some of the pilgrims were members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.^[11]

However, later in 2017 following the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack in Syria, Muqtada al-Sadr called for Syria's president Bashar al-Assad to step down from power.^[12][13]

2014 parliamentary elections

The Sadrist Movement ended as second largest political party in the 30 April 2014 Iraqi parliamentary elections, with 7% of the votes and 34 seats in Parliament. The largest party in those elections was the State of Law Coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, which won 24% and 92 seats.

2018 parliamentary elections

The Sadrist Movement ended as largest party in the 12 May 2018 Iraqi parliamentary elections, with 14.38% of the votes and 54 seats in Parliament.

2021 parliamentary elections

The Sadrist Movement ended as largest political party in the 10 October 2021 Iraqi parliamentary elections, with 10% of the votes and 73 seats in Parliament. On 13 June 2022, during the 2022 Iraqi political crisis, 74 MPs from Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc resigned from parliament.^[4]

References

1. "The Sadrist–Communist Alliance: Implications for Iraq's Secular Politics". 6 June 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
2. "Iraqi Communists and Shia Sadrists unite to tackle corruption and sectarianism". Middle East Eye. 28 February 2018.
3. Cambanis, Thanassis (11 May 2018). "Opinion – Can a Shiite Cleric Pull Iraq Out of the Sectarian Trap?". The New York Times.
4. "Iraqi leaders vow to move ahead after dozens quit parliament". The Independent. 2022-06-13. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
5. . Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
6. Preliminary Results Governorate Elections 2009-03-26 at the Wayback Machine
7. Joel Wing (24 August 2009). "MUSINGS ON IRAQ". Retrieved 19 February 2015.
8. Iraqi Shia Leader Calls for US Withdrawal From Iraq
9. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (31 October 2017). "Hashd Brigade Numbers Index". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
10. "Jaysh al-Mu'ammal". Jihad Intel. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
11. GHAZI, YASIR & ARANGO, TIM (October 28, 2012). "Iraqi Sects Join Battle in Syria On Both Sides". New York Times. p. A1.
12. "Sadr becomes first Iraqi Shi'ite leader to urge Assad to step down". Reuters. 9 April 2017.
13. "After Syria chemical attack, the powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is calling for Assad to step down". Newsweek. 10 April 2017.