“Muqtada al-Sadr has not abandoned political arena, but he has spent the last 10 days of the holy fasting month of Ramadan to worship the almighty God in privacy”, Head of al-Sadr Office Ibrahim al-Jaberi told al-Sumaria News Network on Sunday.

“Muqtada just like his father late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr gives priority to worshiping the God in privacy,” he said, adding, “He is the first and last man who wants to fight in favor of Iraqi people.”

Al-Sadr is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country, despite not holding any official title in the Iraqi government.

A source close to al-Sadr who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed on Tuesday that the Iraqi cleric is mulling leaving his office and stop his political activities.

The source was quoted as saying that the reason for such decision was pressures from some of his supporters who pushed for picking up weapons and start an armed rebellion against those who threatened Iraq security.

NTJ/ NJF