The prophecy is more than seeing into the future. For the prophecy sees without the element of time. For the prophecy sees things as they were, as they are, and as they always shall be.
Followers of Iraq’s Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
are seen in the Parliament building after they stormed Baghdad’s Green
Zone after lawmakers failed to convene for a vote on overhauling the
government April 30, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
Followers of Iraq’s Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
are seen in the Parliament building after they stormed Baghdad’s Green
Zone after lawmakers failed to convene for a vote on overhauling the
government April 30, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
UPDATE: 11:50 a.m. EDT — A state of emergency has been declared in Baghdad after protesters stormed the Iraqi Parliament, the Washington Post reported
Saturday. Live footage from the scene reportedly showed protesters
waving flags and breaking chairs, and some lawmakers were beaten with
flags as they fled the premises. Others remained trapped and fearful
inside the building. All roads into the Iraqi capital have been closed.
The protesters are the first to breach the Green Zone, a highly
fortified area of the city where most government ministries and foreign
embassies are based. Iraqi security forces fired tear gas on
demonstrators near one of the entrances to the area Saturday as hundreds
of protesters continued to storm into the Green Zone, the Associated Press reported.
The Green Zone, originally set up to protect U.S. forces in Iraq, is
the site of most government ministries and foreign embassies. It has
long been the target of criticism by al-Sadr,
who has portrayed it as the epicenter of corruption and who has managed
to mobilize tens of thousands in mass demonstrators in recent months.
The area is protected by blast walls and razor wire; most Iraqis cannot
enter.
Sadr called for the demonstrations in a bid to pressure Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi to move ahead with reforms he has promised,
including replacing current ministers with unaffiliated technocrats.
Amid mounting pressure, the Parliament approved a partial reshuffle
earlier in the week. As rioters rampaged through the Parliament building
Saturday, some shouted “peacefully, peacefully.” The 42-year-old cleric, born to
a well-known family of clerics, rose to prominence as he founded the
Mahdi Army, which battled U.S. troops following the invasion in 2003
that ousted then-President Saddam Hussein. He was a controversial
and divisive figure as Iraq spiraled into a sectarian conflict; many
accused him of stoking sectarian tensions. Iraqi
protesters wave national flags as they gather inside the Parliament
after breaking into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on April 30,
2016. A protest held outside the Green Zone escalated after parliament
again failed to reach a quorum and approve new ministers to replace the
current government of party-affiliated ministers.Photo: HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP/Getty Images
He ultimately transformed himself into a statesman, leading a popular
grassroots movement that remains powerful among Iraq’s Shiite majority,
particularly in poorer areas. Although he had gone relatively quiet in
recent years, he has re-emerged as a central figure
in Iraqi politics amid rising anger at the government. Some of his
supporters hold key positions in the Parliament, and Sadr, moving away
from a past of violence, has called for moderation and peace.
The country’s government has been slow to deliver reforms promised
last year, as the president has been focused on the battle against the
Islamic State group, which now controls large swaths of the country, as
well as neighboring Syria. Abadi has voiced concern that the street
protests, although nonviolent, could spiral out of control and hinder
the fight against the Sunni extremist group, also known as ISIS.
