The interview of journalist Mr. Jonathan Steele with Al-Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr

The interview of journalist Mr. Jonathan Steele with Al-Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr
In the name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful

The journalist: I thank you very much for giving me some your time
Al-Sayyid: with pleasure
The journalist: I know that you are busy in this critical time for Iraq and war with Da'ish which didn't complete yet
Al-Sayyid: if Allah wills it is near
The journalist: I thank Allah it is true, can I begin the questions and your evaluation for the situation
Al-Sayyid: with pleasure, I'm ready
The journalist: what are the reactions about the reformative steps that you will present it , are they disappointed from them
Al-Sayyid: do you mean political parties or the people
The journalist: the politicians and people also

Al-Sayyid: In the name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful, actually I put this project far from the policy and I said the project should be (after the liberation of Mosul) human, services not political , in spite of that there is a positive reaction with this project especially from some politicians , as for Iraqi people he is always waiting for the results regardless that he will agree or refuse the project or the project is good or not, but what motivated me to write this project is my fear of after the liberation of Mosul (sectarian fears), sectarian matters will happen there, therefore I wrote this project to avoid these sectarian fears because the previous government specifically planted the sectarianism among the Iraqi people, if we don't reduce from this intensity then there will be undesirable results

The journalist: the reign now is in the hand of Al-Ibadi , do you think the same thoughts are existent at the people which the previous ruler planted them
Al-Sayyid: your question isn't clear, but the policies of Al-Ibadi differ from the policies of Al-Maliki surely and he tries to remove these sectarian matters from the minds – the minds are the minds of Iraqi people- but not all matters are in the hand of Al-Ibadi to remove all of them and sectarian tensions whereas some of them are out of his control
The journalist: do you think that the people will be disappointment and go back to the extreme after the liberation
Al-Sayyid: do you mean inside Mosul or in Iraq generally
The journalist: the people of Mosul will be disappointed and go back to the extreme if they don’t get education, culture, health and instruction
Al-Sayyid: I fear that the Mosul and liberation of Mosul are the end of beginning not the beginning of the end, it means Mosul and its liberation will be the beginning of other sectarian matters and non- sectarian and clashes and other matters, the less matters is if the case of Mosul ended then Syria will begin and it is obvious, whereas Al-Ibadi bombed many areas in Syria and also Popular mobilization and theirs statements that they will go to liberate Syria and Yemen and others, and I still be proud of Iraqi mosaic and their doctrinal and religious parties (Sunnis, Shiite, Christian and Sabean) all of them are bright and beautiful picture for Iraq, and I fear that the liberation of Mosul will be the beginning of ethnic genocide against some religions and doctrines
The journalist: what do you mean when you said that Al-Ibadi attack on Syria, what is kind of attack
Al-Sayyid: bombing some areas, Iraqi airplanes bombed some areas in the Syrian – Iraqi borders
The journalist: isn’t it a good point that Iraq helps the president Asad
Al-Sayyid: my personal opinion is we shouldn't intervene in the internal matters of the others and vice versa and what is going in Syria and other areas is internal matter as what is going in Iraq is internal matter
The journalist: there are some sayings about mistakes by popular mobilization after liberating the areas especially in Tikrit or Beji and the rest areas, do you believe that it is true? Especially in Tikrit
Al-Sayyid: the important matter for me is the one who commits mistake should be punished and in my last meeting with the popular mobilization I assured on them that it should be rigid punishment system to avoid such violations whether it is existent or not
The journalist: do you mean brigades of peace
Al-Sayyid: the mobilization, the people in the last session sure you saw it
The journalist: when you said he should be punished, the one who committed mistake should be punished that's mean you believe that there are violations
Al-Sayyid: I told you and maybe you weren't attentive, whether if there are violations or not the important matter that it should be punishment
The journalist: for you the disbanding of brigades of peace after the liberation
Al-Sayyid: in fact, firstly, the first point, Al-Mosul , liberation of Al-Mosul ,and guard the land should be by the Iraqi army specifically, the case of popular mobilization and after legislating the law of popular mobilization, disbanding brigades of peace or popular mobilization generally will be difficult, that is mean the armed people will control after liberation of Al-Mosul, hence we need a serious attitude from the government, Iraqi army and security forces to be the controller, and I said and still say that popular mobilization will not satisfy in liberating of Mosul, but there will be conflicts behind the borders, I said it is enough for Iraqi people (shedding the bloods) whereas Iraqi people needs for the peace now, but to involve him in other wars, I don't accept this matter even though there is agreement that both brigades of peace or popular mobilization return to their homes after liberation of Mosul and submitting their weapons, I will be ready but I will stay resisting the occupation
The journalist: there are some meetings between the Sunni politicians in Ankara, I expect you heard, it what is your opinion
Al-Sayyid: I have many comments
First: why was it behind the borders not under or inside the borders in Iraq, the Iraqi land embraces the all if Allah wills, why it is in Turkey whereas we regard Turkey an occupier for some Iraqi lands
The second matter and second comment: I hope this Sunni gathering is a popular, and political gathering those who gathered should be near from their popular bases not be in ivory tower far from the people
The third matter: there are sectarian conflicts between the Shiite politicians and Sunni politicians after period from the elections and the elections become near, they reconcile , these political dialogues should not be in return of the bloods, the martyrs bloods in spite of that any political side can gather as she wills and according to the democratic process, but I find it is too late, generally we are far from the political gatherings specially the one which includes the corrupted faces, so I hope from all gatherings to have new faces and not corrupted, the other matter is that the Sunni gathering isn't completed because the president of parliament allied with another side (Shiite) and it is trespassing for the Sunni gatherings
The journalist: you mentioned Al-Joubori, do you mean the president of parliament
Al-Sayyid: yes, Saleem Al-Joubori the president of parliament, yes Al-Maliki allied with Saleem Al-Joubori (the Sunni) whom should be in Ankara with his group but he made a party with Al-Maliki, and I astonish and the wonder all the wonder that Al-Maliki wants to fall Saleem Al-joubori (as a reformation ) and today he allies with Saleem Al-Joubori, how did he ally with the one that he wants to fall him? That's what I said they are allies in return of Iraqi bloods


The journalist: do you favor that elections happen in this year
Al-Sayyid: I favor the postponement or advancement the elections whereas there are two ideas, either the parliament elections with the provinces councils election or provinces councils elections with the parliament elections, if the Iraqi budget is enough to do each one alone then it is better otherwise doing them together is better
The journalist: do you think that the budget is not enough to do the elections in this year
Al-Sayyid: I think that, therefore doing them together is better
The journalist: so you support doing the elections in the next year
Al-Sayyid: no, doing them together now or later, the important is doing them together not the postponement or advancement, but if the advancement leads to exclude the provinces of Sunni or the afflicted regions then the postponement is better otherwise they can advance the elections
The journalist: what is your suggestions about the demonstrations which happen every Friday at Al-Tahreer square in Baghdad, should they continue or stop
Al-Sayyid: yes, they should continue
The journalist: what have they achieved
Al-Sayyid: in fact the important thing at me is showing for the world and in front of Allah that the Iraqi nation refuses the corruption and it is enough even if the reformation doesn’t occur, whereas there are who saying that the armed resistance against the American didn’t affect but an important thing happened that’s the Iraqi nation resisted the occupation whether if it succeeded or not but I say that it succeeded
The journalist: do you think that after Da'ish was defeated that you favor department of the American directly or staying to train the Iraqi army
Al-Sayyid: I favor! I don’t favor to stay any state so how about America, and America is occupier then we will resist her if she stays
The journalist: do you mean there is no changing
Al-Sayyid: never, it will not change
The journalist: and you will not change your ideas about the British
Al-Sayyid: firstly we congratulate for the British their leaving the E.U
The journalist: you are very happy
Al-Sayyid: it is their choice, I congratulate for them their choice, and I wish to congratulate for them in the future their leaving the subordination to America
The journalist: do you support the separation from Europe because Europe considers a threat on Iraq
Al-Sayyid: no, but maybe leaving Britain from EU make her see another viewpoint on the world
The journalist: I don’t understand
Al-Sayyid: I think that EU is subordinate to America then if he leaves the America dress then another view will happen from the British and their behaviors about the world and she will not be occupier in the future, and EU stills pay the price of his subordination for America especially after entering the terrorists and the terroristic attacks that happened in some of the European states, and I warned previously from that
The journalist:coming back to Iraq and Iran, you say you don’t want Iraqi forces to go to Syria because they will sacrifice with the Iraqi bloods do you favor that Iran help Iraq
Al-Sayyid: Iraq or Syria
The journalist: there are Iranian forces in Iraq
Al-Sayyid: there aren’t Iranian bloods in Iraq and I didn’t remember that there are Iranian bloods in Syria
The journalist: there are Iranian forces in Iraq
Al-Sayyid: Iranian forces not bloods, you mean bloods of persons not they were killed for Iraq
Al-Sayyid: in fact, I always say that our intervention in affairs of other states is refused and also intervention of them in our affairs is refused, but Iran didn’t intervene by forces but by consultation and it was by governmental demand, and the intervention of Iran differs much from intervention of America and Turkey in Iraq, from here I stress that Iraqi hands must control on the land after liberation of Mosul not other hands, we don’t accept that it was demanded from America to control on Mosul
The journalist: if Da'ish end in Mosul, do they end completely or continue by different ways
Al-Sayyid: Da'ish is ideology not persons, and removal the ideology is not by weapon only but by the thought, culture and education
The journalist: there are some troubles conflicted between Iran and Saudi Arabia, do you have an idea about the Iraq relationships with Saudi Arabia can be improves? Can Iraq be bridge between Iran and Saudi
Al-Sayyid: do you mean the government of Iraq does that
The journalist: whether, the government or the people, will you make any contact with Saudi religious people

Al-Sayyid: I tried and still try but the matter is complicated not easy, but it isn’t difficult and need long time and need specific policies and specific ways
The journalist: have you been gone to hajj
Al-Sayyid: since more than ten years, 2005-2006
The journalist: did you see difficulties in contact with the Saudi leaderships, religious leaders and political leaders
Al-Sayyid: what is the relation between the going to the pilgrimage with the peacemaking between Saudi Arabia and Iran
The journalist: when you are in Saudi to hajj you meet top people and you go from mecca to Riyadh and Jidda and meet top people
Al-Sayyid: there is intention for going to minor hajj, of course recognize between hajj and minor hajj
The journalist: you mean this year
Al-Sayyid: if Allah will, you know that going Muqtada is not as going other people whereas it needs many matters
The journalist: there are troubles from Kurds by taking many areas, how will these matters be solved
Al-Sayyid: I think that Al-Ibadi tries to remove the disagreements with peacefully and dialogue not as the previous government, and there are positive statements from the both sides Al-Ibadi and the Kurds nowadays, and I think that there is point from points of draft law after liberation of Mosul which I had written that it should solve the problems between the central government and government of Kurdistan
The journalist: are there proofs that they will do that or it is mere speech
Al-Sayyid: I think that if the matter continues by the dialogue then positive development will happen if Allah will, their disagreements were with the previous government, and this government is positive relatively with dealing then positive results will happen if Allah will
The journalist: I 'm grateful to you, it was said that you don’t receive the journalists from Britain, America, France, Germany
Al-Sayyid: no, I don’t have any reserve, I reserve against soldiers of the occupier, but not with nations of America and Britain, and other nations of Europe aren’t occupier, I never mind, I will meet the German ambassador after one week
The journalist: did you visit British consular
Al-Sayyid: no, till now, Britain specifically, because the consular represents the state not the nation
The journalist: thank you very much for the meeting
Al-Sayyid: I am indebted, and I am sorry for the disturbance and tiredness