Sadr says those who consented to Imam Hussein’s killing have broken God’s covenant

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of Iraq’s Sadrist Movement, said in a statement on Tuesday that anyone who consented to, cooperated in, or remained silent about the killing of Imam Hussein had broken God’s covenant with the Ahl al-Bayt. Issuing the message on the social media platform X to mark the anniversary of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom, al-Sadr said the Umayyads violated the covenant of God and the Prophet by carrying out the killing on the orders of Yazid, whom he described as a symbol of polytheism. Al-Sadr said Imam Hussein was the clear embodiment of the Qur’anic verse of purification, and that anyone who ordered, cooperated with, consented to or stayed silent about his killing had violated God’s covenant. He argued that obedience to a corrupt ruler cannot take precedence over obedience to the Ahl al-Bayt, and called for condemnation of Yazid and the Umayyads. Citing the hadith “Hussein is from me and I am from Hussein,” al-Sadr said those who love Hussein love God, while those who killed him or harmed his family and wives will incur God’s wrath. He described Ashura as the eternal day of reform in which blood prevails over the sword, saying Imam Hussein set out seeking reform among the Prophet’s community but was blocked by corrupt groups.