Iraq’s Center Alliance Legislature criticizes Shiite Sadrist’s Thursday demonstration

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Legislature of Iraq’s Center Alliance, Dr. Khalid Sulaiman al-Fahdawi, has criticized the official attitude towards the demonstration by the Shiite al-Sadr Movement, that took place in east Baghdad’s al-Sadr city last Thursday, wondering “why obstacles were being laid against peaceful demonstrators in central Baghdad’s al-Tahrir Square and some of them being detained?”   Al-Fahdrawi, in a statement he issued on Saturday, copy of which was received by IraqiNews.com news agency, had expressed “surprise from the attitude towards al-Sadr Movement’s demonstration last Thursday,” reiterating that their march had been of a military nature, though those who participated in it did not carry weapons.   “The military marches by Iraqi non-security organizations are rejected, because they grant legitimacy for carrying arms away from the official framework, thing that shall lead to the appearance of military shows in other parts of the country, thing that shall lead to the militarization of the of the Region, and does not cope with the building of a civil state in Iraq,” Fahdawi said.   Fahdawi, Member of the Parliament’s Awqaf (Endowment) Committee, had also asked: “Why obstacles are being laid in the face of peaceful demonstrators in Baghdad ’s al-Tahrir Square, and some of them being detained, whilst such marches be allowed, and even final schools examinations were officially delayed in al-Sadr city, because of that?”   He demanded the Iraqi government and the Parliament to “strive seriously not to repeat such practice in the future,” calling on everybody to “avoid pushing the country into a state of anarchy once again, vis-à-vis narrow political agreements and gains.”   IraqiNews.com correspondent had stated on Thursday that tens of thousands of followers of al-Sadr Trend had arrived from Iraq’s central and southern provinces on Wednesday night, where they shared in the march of al-Sadr Movement, that took place on Thursday on the occasion of the birthday anniversary of Fatitatul-Zahraa, Prophet Mohammed’s daughter and wife of his cousin, Imam Ali Bin-Abi Talib in the 7 th century ad, whilst large number of Iraqi Army forces spread in different parts of al-Sadr city.   SKH (FT) 486