Iraqi cleric slams US ambassador’s visit to Imam Ali (AS) holy shrine

Rasa - Iraq's prominent Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has slammed a recent visit to the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS) by the US ambassador to Iraq.

News ID: 2214

Date: 08 March 2015 - 16:30

RNA - Iraq's prominent Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has slammed a recent visit to the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS) by the US ambassador to Iraq.

According to Iran's Quran News Agency, he has called for collecting signatures from millions of Iraqis to show their protest against the visit.

Al-Sadr also called for apologies from all of those involved in the visit, including related government officials.

During a trip on Wednesday to the holy city of Najaf, South of Baghdad, Stuart Jones, the US ambassador to Iraq, paid a visit to the shrine of Imam Ali (AS).

The shrine is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.

Every year, millions of Shia Muslims from around the world pay pilgrimage visits to the holy site.

Al-Sadr described the American ambassador as a terrorist and said the US is the main factor behind the suffering, destruction and terrorism that Iraqis are going through.

Sadr and his Mehdi Army were against the US-led military presence in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

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