Iraq’s Sadr remembers destroyed Shia shrines in Saudi

The leader of Iraq’s Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, yesterday sent a message to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman addressing the so-called Al-Baqi’ cemetery issue, which he raises annually.

“Today, the eighth of the Hijry month of Shawwal, is the commemoration of the demolition of the Baqi’ Al-Gharqad in Saudi Arabia,” Sadr wrote on Twitter, adding that the tombs were demolished by “perverted hands claiming affiliation to Islam”.

He called on Bin Salman to “reconstruct the Baqi graves”, noting that it would lead to “an end to the sectarian conflicts in the region.”

Al-Baqi’ is the oldest and the first Islamic cemetery of Medina, the Hijazi region of present-day Saudi Arabia. It is located to the south-east of the Prophet’s Mosque.

The shrines of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s grandson Hassan, and a number of Shia Imams were among those demolished in the cemetery at the order of King Ibn Saud on the 8th of Shawwal 1344 AH (1925).

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