Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq

by Patrick Cockburn

A portrait of the formidable Shi-ite figure who has been predicted to be a future leader in Iraq evaluates why he is believed to be a key player in determining America's inevitable relationship with the Middle East, in an account that describes his rise from a resistance fighter, the assassinations of his family members, and his frequent confrontations with the American military. 50,000 first printing.

Genres: Middle East, Politics, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Religion, Terrorism

226 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Patrick Oliver Cockburn is an Irish journalist who has been a Middle East correspondent since 1979 for the Financial Times and, presently, The Independent.

He has written four books on Iraq's recent history. He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in 2005, the James Cameron Prize in 2006 and the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2009.

Reviews

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cockburn is one of the few journalists writing on Iraq that is doing a good job of it. The first half of this book lays out the context for Muqtada'a rise to the top of the Shia resistance in Iraq, starting with the death of Imam Ali up to the horrid repression of the Shia under Saddam. Cockburn clearly lays out the context for Muqtada's ability to become the leader of millions of Shia underclass and the most formidable opponent to the U.S. regime. His reporting is even handed and detailed, which is impressive given the enormous complexity of Iraq today. One of the things I liked most about this book is that it deals with Iraq from the standpoint of Iraq, not the U.S., placing the current war in a continuum of Iraqi history. It shows the U.S. as one player in a complicated war with multiple sides and layers and delves into the Mehdi army, one of the groups within the waring groups in Iraq, and probably the most powerful. It is an excellent read and timely, ending with the U.S. "surge." Books on Iraq tend to expire after a year, but this is definitely the one for today.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muqtada is a well write and informative book. The title is a bite missing leading. The book covers the history of the Shia in Iraq, the rise of the al-Sadr family and also Muqtada’s rise in recent years. Cockburn explores the complexities of the issue and refutes the idea that if the US had taken out Muqtada in the early months of the occupation his party and the Mehdi Army would have gone away. This is a worthy read for any one wishing to understand Iraq today and the reason everything went so wrong.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The name sake of this book is not introduced until over halfway through the book. Before this, we are treated to the context in which the Shia--primarily the poor Shia--found themselves at the end of Saddam's rule. Particularly relevant is the history of martyrs the Shia revere and the recent history of Shi'ism in Iraq. This book should be read by anyone professing to have current knowledge of Iraq.

Currently, there are three main Shia factions in the Iraqi government:

-The SIIC was formerly the SCIRI, in command of the 'Badr Militia' or the 'Badr Corps'. This group is distrusted by many shia as they did not help in the attempted overthrow of saddam in the first gulf war. They are the most pro-american of the three, and spend Saddam's rule living in Iran.

-Dawa began as the political arm of a movement started by Baqir al-Sadr--Muqtada's step-father--and sponsors the current PM, al-Maliki. The split between SCIRI and Dawa was largely due to disagrements between al-Sadr and Khomenei over who should hold the ultimate power. al-Sadr interpreted the koran to be a proponent of rule-by-the-people, while Khomenei (and then the SCIRI) pushed for a rule-by-the-clerics. Only recently has Dawa put down its' guns--their anti-Iraqi militancy during the Iran-Iraq war labeled them as "terrorists" to the west and caused Saddam's now-infamous retaliation--and become a conservative Shia party now allied with the SIIC.

-the Sadrists movement is the result of a decades-long awakening of the most impoverished Shia promoted by the teachings and martyrdom of Baqir al-Sadr and Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, Muqtada's father. Taking up the reins from his father, Muqtada preaches a natonalist, fundamentalist line. His followers demand a full evacuation of americans, and are willing to work with others who feel the same (their support of the refugees from the Sunni falluja is notable). They teach against suicide bombing, prosecuting notable Sunni factions that actively promote such behaviour. Politically, the faction is generally consistent with the teachings of Muqtada and runs a tammany hall-style job system. Militarily, Muqtada has much less control, but is still able to call cease-fires and definatly able to call others to arms. It is difficult to tell what military might they may have after the recent heavy American bombing of 'Sadr city' (think: a military campaign against a well-organized, highly religious southeast DC). It is quite possible that the heavy Iraqi casualties supported by al-Maliki have caused greater support for the most visible anti-American force in Iraq. If that is the case, it is the third time America has lost in such a way to Muqtada.

This is only the summary of a fraction of what this book holds.

[David M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick Cockburn is simply the best there is. This book's a good complement to his writings on Isis and the spread of Sunni extremism.


After the American invasion in 2003, Muqtada al-Sadr became the voice of Iraq's vast Shia underclass. While most western media accounts portray him as a dangerous fanatic, Cockburn instead shows the cleric to be unusually canny and principled. Apparently he tried to form a common front to resist the occupation, but to no avail. He was unable to restrain his followers from engaging in horrible sectarian violence against their Sunni brothers.

One important difference between Shia militias versus Sunni jihadists seems to be the importance of external sponsorship. It's easy to assume the Islamic Republic funds and supports Shia death squads much like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States do Sunni ones. It makes for a neat story, but isn't actually true, it seems. If anything, Iran tried to play a conservative role in Iraq after the invasion. They never gave any material support to Muqtada or his Mehidi army, instead backing Shia leaders who were willing to collaborate with the Americans.


Similarly, Iran's role in destabilizing Yemen today has been hugely exaggerated by Saudi propaganda and much of the western media. In 2014, Iran actually advised the Houthis against taking Sana'a. Their support for the guerrilla group remains pretty negligible. While hardliners may still sometimes indulge in fiery rhetoric, the regime really hasn't done anything to export revolution since the eighties.

[Lana Fares Asaad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the powerful story of how Sadr follows the path of his father and father-in-law, two respected Shia leaders. It shows how Saddam’s cruelty made him stronger and more determined to protect his religious and Iraqi identity.
The Sadr family stood out for speaking up for the people when other Shia leaders stayed silent. Sadr remains a key figure in Iraqi politics and is strong enough to challenge his rivals.
The book is well written, full of details about Sadr’s family and life. It brought back memories of stories from the years after Saddam. I learned a lot and really enjoyed it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a valuable book if you want to understand the religious context behind the political struggle in Iraq today. Violent circumstances forged the personality of the "firebrand cleric" and precipitated his rise to leadership of the major grassroots political movement in Iraq. Muqtada has personally experienced what Iraqi citizens as a whole and Shiites in particular have gone through. It is not fun reading. I don't think we have no idea what we have done, what we are doing, or what we have gotten ourselves into in Iraq.

[Megha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saddam fell in 2003. World witnessed the fall in shock and awe as US bombed Iraq. "The US liberated Iraq from Saddam's atrocity"

Did they? Is it the complete truth? What was on US agenda when they went for him? How much is known what happened to Iraq post that? How many of us know the rise of ISIS began from Al Qaeda of Iraq. That US worked hand in hand with Saddam to fight against Iran? That US provided the exact locations of the enemy to Saddam so that he can use chemical weapons, the very reason they used to invade Iraq?

I watched number of documentaries but there was always something that was left out. Since 2003 so much has happened on political, religious and security front in Iraq that its difficult to get the 'complete' understanding, as is.

Though the book is titled Muqtada, the book is much more than him. Its goes decades back to understand the 2003 Irag and later. All the cracks Iraq documentaries have, this book fills in. The memoirs by soldiers of American military operations talking about the torture and cruelty, this book gives the background, gives meaning to the brutal actions and history. You cannot just say its cruel, you have to understand why it is that way. It's a must read if you want to understand the big and small things from the ordinary people / civilian's standpoint while most of the documentaries/books gives from the viewpoint at top of hierarchy.

[Zaid Alhusainy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way Patrick did his research and writing. Very amusing and informative book.
However, there is a big information is missed of the book, that I think it is very important. In chapter 5, he said about the Saddam Hussein regime, when crushing the uprising "Then, as the U.S.-led coalition refuses to interfere, Iraqi army units loyal to the regime launched fierce counterattacks, crushed the uprising, and began to exact a terrible vengeance.".
This is actually misleading. After the coalition armies took over Kuwait, they shoot any Iraqi airplane in the air (helicopters and fixed-wing aircrafts). However after the uprising, U.S. allowed Saddam (in Safwan Airfield meeting) to use helicopters only. Saddam Hussein used the helicopters to suppress the uprising, after he loss control over 14 from 18 provinces in the uprising, and couldn't regain them using ground forces.
This is well known in any research about the topic. [1] [2] I don't know why he missed this vital information. Which explain (beside other reasons) why many Iraqis don't trust the U.S. government.

[Umar Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book. It goes into great detail on the history of the Sadr family, the martyrs of that family, and the dynamics of internal Shia politics after the American invasion of Iraq. Ths book gets beyond the western caricature of Sadr and details the political and cultural background of his movement, the rationale of the Mahdi Army, their shortcomings and relations to Sunnis. A complex picture is presented of Sadr. He comes off as an Iraqi nationalist, representative of the poor Iraqi Shia masses, and untainted by an association with the American occupation given his opposition to it. However, the book also outlines the disorganized nature of the Mahdi Army and many of the atrocities committed by them against Sunnis. Above all a picture of Sadr is painted of an astute political player able to survive battles with America and isolation only to come out stronger. This book ends in 2008 and is a good read to understand the role he has since played as a major figure in Iraqi politics, opponent of domestic Iranian influence, and the fight against ISIS.

[Toby Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book that details the reign and fall of Saddham, the manoevering of the varied political-religious-military entities in Iraq and how Muqtada Al-Sadr is trying to fill the vacuum vacated by Saddham. The narrative is fluid and explains the different shia and sunni sects, their genesis to the present day manifestation, which is core to the issues being played out in Iraq. As Christopher Hitchens puts it "No serious student of Iraq has failed to incur a debt to the intrepid and intelligent Patrick Cockburn".

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only goes up to 2007 or so, but very good historical background on the major Shia clerical figures in Iraq and how they navigated politics under the Ba'ath and the early years of U.S. occupation.

[Анна · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ❤️ you Cockburn, I ❤️ you Muqtada!
Kisses!!

[Runge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, thorough, and clear-eyed.

[Rob Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

A balanced and readable account of the machinations of Shi'ism in Iraq. Although framed around Muqtadah al-Sadr, the volume provides an overview of not only the history of modern Shi'ism in Iraq, but also provides an insights on how this different strand of Islam operates in the lives of the Shi'a faithful. Since there are a lot of misconceptions about Shi'ism amongst Sunni Muslims, this book offers not only a detailed glimpse of what's going on inside post-invasion Iraq, but an introduction to Shi'ism as well. Roughly the first nine chapters deal with the history of Shi'ism under Saddam Hussein until the 2003 invasion by the United States. The final few chapters finally manage to focus more solely on the book's namesake. The author, a brave and experience journalist, does his best to be balanced and, based on what I can see, he does admirably well. One example of this is his analysis of the varying accounts about what transpired before, during and after the murder of Sayyid Abdul-Majid al-Khoei at the shrine of Imam 'Ali in al-Najaf in August 2003. The author's overall attempt to frame an understanding of the rather elusive Muqtadah al-Sadr, in the face of media and U.S. government misunderstandings and misinformation, is quite good and very well argued. Cockburn's conclusion that one of al-Sadr's greatest skills is being able to "avoid a punch" seems to be right on the money, since this Shi'a cleric is no doubt much brighter, craftier and determined than his opponents would have us believe. Overall, this is a quick and easy read that should be hard to put down for anyone primarily interested in understanding the current situation in Iraq and, secondarily, wanting to understand the Iraqi Shi'a. Highly recommended.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is both an invaluable work about Iraq, and kind of a mess. It's a mess because so little information can be obtained directly about Muqtada. Cockburn has done a good job of pulling together what can be gotten, though he ends up with a book that's more about the history of Shiite Iraq than a bio of Muqtada. The story is far from ended, and it seems to hit a brick wall in the last chapter, but some of that is simply because there's no end to the story yet.

I learned a LOT about Shiite history, Iraqi history, and (interestingly) Iranian history. Most importantly, I withdraw my oft-stated view that the Iraq war and Saddam's fall handed de facto control of the Gulf region to Iran. I was getting that idea from what I believed to be good sources, but it appears to be a blockheaded view aggressively pushed by the Bush Administration, either because it served their political purposes or because they knew fuck-all about Shiites and the Middle East in general. Probably both.

I listened to the audiobook, which has Cockburn reading it. He has a mild Irish accent that I found a delight to listen to, especially because he was reading a work about something that has nothing to do with Ireland. My family is of Irish descent, so Irish accents always cheer me up. Perhaps more importantly, as best I could tell Cockburn got all the pronunciations right -- which almost never happens in audiobooks about the Arab world. He worked in the region. That was nice to hear.

Worthy effort, essential if you want to understand Iraq, but not perfect. Damned enjoyable, however, if this sort of thing is your game.

[Muhammad Ahmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick Cockburn, one of UK's finest journalists who has covered Iraq for nearly three decades, follows on his earlier account of Iraq since the US-UK invasion, "The Occupation", with an immensely important new book. "Muqtada" provides much needed background on of the most important political players in Iraq today who, more than any other, is in a position to determine whether Iraq can survive as a national unit. As Cockburn reveals, far from being the catspaw of Iran that the Western mainstream media would have us believe, Muqtada's family has a history of antipathy towards Iran. The Sadrists are nationalists, populists and anti-imperialists first, and hence the hostility of not just the occupiers, but also the Iranian backed rivals such as ISCI's Badr Organization towards them. Representing Iraq's large underclass, the Sadrists have used their recent engagement in national politics to secure employment for their followers and provide basic social services. Sadr has also been leading the call for a Shia-Sunni nationalist front to oppose the occupation.

Where the book is weak however is its overly credulous approach towards official accounts of events. There is no mention herein of the very public Salvador Option which precipitated the sectarian war, or the British SAS men who had been caught in the act of sabotage dressed as members of Sadr's militia. That said, this book should be essential reading for anyone serious about understanding the dynamics of post-Saddam iraq.

[Yonis Gure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rarely is reportage and coverage on the Middle East contextualized. Thus, it is incumbent upon journalists like Cockburn and Fisk to help put this ever-changing and complex region in its proper historical context for the laymen to understand. “Muqtada”, by Patrick Cockburn, is less a biography about the most important man to have emerged during the U.S-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, and more about the complexities of Shia politics in the country and how this came to shape Muqtada’s movement. Cockburn does this amidst the miasma of propaganda, clichés and outright mendacity that came to dominate public discussion about Muqtada and his movement at the time.

However, I do have one quibble with this book, which is more to do with what Cockburn omitted rather than what’s actually in the book. I wish Cockburn had discussed in detail how the U.S/U.K created conditions of bloody sectarian chaos that would irreversibly fragment and wreck the country. I’m speaking of conditions such as: giving the sectarian and ethnic-based Iraqi governing council more time to deepen the divides upon which it was based and the U.S created and facilitated sectarian-based death squads. Although, I must concede, these requests are probably due to the fact that sectarianism is now rife in the country and I hope in Cockburn’s new book - set to be published in October - he provides more context as to why the country and the region is fragmented along these lines.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book ability the politocal and religious situation in Iraq from the invasion of Kuwait till the American attack in 2003. I had never really digested the It is mind boggling that the great nation of United States which was seething in anger after the terrorist attack on 9/11 and commanded so much sympathy as a result of the human carnage on its innocent citizens, could be the instigator of not one but two completely needless and vicious atomic bomb attacks on Japanese cities teeming with ordinary civilians. It is clear to me that the results of this horrible act of state terror were deliberately masked by the story line by US and itself cronies that the voilence after Iraq invasion is because of the centuries old prexisting shia-sunni schism in Iraq. Patrick has exposed this narrative by pointing out Iraq Shias support for Iraq against the 10 year war against a very Shia Iraq. Also Muqtida's militia is nowbere close to the dicipline and efficient Hizbollah which arguebally is funded and trained by the Iranis which means that Iranis does not have as big a role as the Saudis and Qataris have US belive. The book finishes with a prophecy about the rise of Sunni militias to avenge attrocoties against them. And ISIS immediately makes an entry as if on queue

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading "The Looming Tower," I've become very fascinated with the development of modern terrorism as well as radical Sunni and Shia islam. And of course, following the news as avidly as I do, I've known for years that there is so much more I should know about the situation in Iraq.

A glowing review in Times Book Review turned me on to this title. If you know as little as I did about Shia (I'd say I'm the average NPR listner, no more, no less), the first few chapters can leave your head spinning as the author rushes you through a very quick but thorough intro to the sect. More than anything, this book just reinforces how impossibly complex the politics of Iraq are and why our involvement there will never get any easier. The author is very fair to all sides, and you leave with a bit of understanding as to the motives of everyone involved -- members of the Mehdi army, their sunni oponents, and everyone in between. It also reminds you how the problem that is Iraq is largely of our making.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muqtada al - Sadr has always been presented in western media as a "firebrand cleric," a radical, and a pawn of Iran. This book paints a portrait of an intelligent, cautious, and politically savvy man who championed the causes of the Shia poor and Iraqi nationalism. This book would be an excellent read for anyone who wants to better understand the political reality of Iraq, as well as the events that led up to the fall of Saddam and the subsequent insurgency. Patrick Cockburn uses a wealth of sources, from prime ministers and ayatollahs to ordinary Iraqi citizens, who tell of a complex and chaotic struggle that has its roots in the distant past. He also cuts decisively through the propaganda of Iraqi and US leaders. The story of the sectarian strife in Iraq has implications for other countries undergoing upheaval following the Arab Spring, most notably Egypt and Syria. If we and they can learn from the lessons of Iraq, can the same sort of genocidal violence be avoided?

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this back when Muqtada was prevalent in the news for his battles with Coalition forces from his HQ that seemed to lie in a mosque-cemetery complex. I did not get around to reading it then and was reluctant to pick it up now, since time has passed and Muqtada has gone from emanating an evil, rebellious auro to a political moderate.

However, Muqtada is actually minor or perhaps supporting character in this recent Iraq history focused on the Shia-Sunni divide. Not only is the background of that religious division and its regional and national implications explored but there is such helpful observations as that the appellation "Sayyid" often givens Muqtada denotes a person descending directly from the Prophet Muhammad, as does his black turban while "al-Sadr" indicates his descent from Shiite martyrs.

Still, a relevant and enlightening book on Iraq.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book because it takes the al-Sadr legacy in Iraq seriously. Cockburn explains in detail the role of Muqtada's father and uncle, and the family's relationship to Shi'ism as practiced by millions of Iraqis, most of whom are on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Right now (October, 2008), Muqtada's followers are relatively quiescent, ostensibly because he has instructed his cadres to avoid violence, but this could change in a day, a week, or a month, as Shiite factions jockey for position prior to the upcoming provincial elections. The hole in the middle of the book, unfortunately, is Muqtada himself. Cockburn apparently could not gain access to him. So we don't know the quality of the man, his theory of Iraqi nationalism, his intentions, or all that we would like to know about his motivations.

[Murtaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is much less a biography of Muqtada al-Sadr than of the Sadr family in Iraq and Shia politics in that country more generally. Cockburn is an intrepid journalist who has spent decades working in Iraq and documents that country's sectarian unravelling in great detail here.

Given recent events (the rise of ISIS and the corresponding revival of the Mehdi Army) this is a good book to understand the dynamics of Iraq's present Shia government. There's not much of a personal profile of Sadr but in his politics he appears much more calculating and prudent than his American media caricature, and more nationalist than described by Sunni Arab detractors.

Engagingly written and thoroughly researched, an impressive book.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only everybody wrote history this way. The only person who is even close is the late great Zinn. This book is a must read for anybody who wants some basic knowledge of Muqtada, of Iraq, of Saddam, of the Middle East, even of the history of the Sunni and Shia. It also makes a convincing argument that at the end of the day our foreign policy has stepped right into the middle of the Sunni/Shia conflict with our various excursions into the Middle East and that we have definitively chosen the Sunni over the Shia, despite the fact that, at its most extreme, Sunni Islam leads to Al-queda-the group which started this long disaster in the Muslim and Arab world.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

As others have pointed out, the title is a bit misleading. It's more about the 2nd and 3rd parts of the subtitle, of which Muqtada plays a large part.

This gives a good overview of the history of Sunni and Shi'ite conflicts in the region, and why the current situation is so complex. This does a good job of shining a light on why there's such a blurred line between "good guys" and "bad guys" in the region.

Not a page turner, but I appreciated the strong objectivity of the narration. Patrick Cockburn definitely knows the material, and presents it well.

[Mujahed Abdullah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. I actually found the first half of this book more interesting where the author focuses on the story of two great scholars, Sayed Mohammed Baqir Sadr and Sayed Mohammed Mohammed Sadiq Sadr, what they tried to achieve and how they were martyred. The second half of the book, the author delves into Muqtada where he states that the man is not the firebrand reactive angry cleric most media outlets make out him to be but rather a deeper character who is politically astute.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book and well researched. Biography of one of the most controversial leaders in Iraq. Great background into what was really going on in Iraq prior, during and immediately after the invasion by the US. If only we had known more before we went in, we probably would be out by now.

[Leo Africanus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterclass in non-fiction. A totally absorbing analysis of post-Saddam Iraq. One of the few, and perhaps only, successful attempts to offer in-depth coverage of intra-Shia politics amidst the maelstrom of tribal, religious, sectarian and nationalist affiliations that plague modern Iraq.

[Mustafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable (and quite sympathetic) account of the politics of the Iraqi Shia community under Saddam and after his overthrow. Demystified the rise of Muqtada al-Sadr after the fall of Saddam and much improved my understanding of who his constituents were.

[Hussain Al-tahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, one of the only books to describe the post war iraq environment in such an accurate way. One can certainly feel as if he is part of the journey when reading it and one gets a feel and sense of the situation inside of iraq after the invasion.