SAYYID AMMAR AL-HAKIM: “The Movement of the Martyr of the Niche grants broad areas for growth, development and openness”
During the past days, we witnessed an official announcement about Badr’s independence from the Martyr of the Niche Movement. It is an important step, a matter of a great deal of pivotal significance, so we have to become familiar with the background and causes of this step. Why does Badr become independent of the Martyr of the Niche Movement at this stage? In order to answer this question, we have to talk about two axes: The first axis is What is Badr Organization, and what is its history? The second axis is: Why does Badr become independent of the Martyr of the Niche Movement at this sensitive stage?
Badr Organization… A Jihadi march in the face of dictatorship…
About the first axis, to talk about Badr Organization is to talk about history that starts and does not end, and to talk about Badr Organization is to talk about a Jihadi march that recorded and chronicled for a sensitive and destiny-making phase of our march facing despotism, oppression and dictatorship. Badr was born out of the womb of the suffering of our Iraqi people’s citizens. It grew with this suffering, bearing the big responsibility for allaying the suffering of our countrymen and in supporting them in the tough historic stations. The brave Badri heroes embraced sacrifice with all the strength they had, and they were a prominent slogan for this sacrifice, so their blood was mixed with Iraq’s soil, this good and dear country, from its marshlands to its mountains. In the peak of despair, Badr was bearing the torch of hope for liberation from oppression, advancing the ranks in fighting tyranny. It did not hesitate for one day to carry out its duties and magnanimous historic responsibilities, and nobody who passes by the history of our nation and its Jihad and struggle without stopping at Badr and the great epic which this Organization recorded and which were recorded by the loyal Badris because both of these histories were mixed with it; so, how can we look at the march of Jihad and sacrifice in our contemporary history without stopping at the achievements of the Badris? The Badris are Iraq’s pristine men who refused to bow down before the dictatorial savagery of the past regime, battling the tyrants on all fields and fronts, paying a dear price for this great historic epic against the tyrant. In addition to the good pure bloods that they shed in defense of Islam and of Iraq, they were subjected to a sick organized campaign of distortion and misrepresentation of their history and reality which tried through all its resources to distort their bright history and lengthy struggle and to belittle the sacrifices which they presented to this homeland. Despite all of this, the loyal Badris remained steadfast, hiding in their chests, which are filled with conviction (iman), their pain, sighs, anguish and bitterness because of this disturbance and this targeting, sticking to their cause. Their faith in this issue increased because they, as men of Jihad, fully realized that their mission was greater than being influenced and stopped by disturbance from here or defamation from there. Doubts were cast about the Badris’ patriotism at a time when they were watering the homeland with their pure blood. Doubts were cast about their being Iraqis as they were bearing Iraq’s banner and the love for the homeland while being on the fields of Jihad, inside dark cells and on the gallows at fields of sacrifice. Their love for Iraq was doubted at the time when they planted parts of their bodies among date trees, in Iraq’s mountains, valleys, plateaus and highlands. God bless you, O Badr, when you were the spearhead, the slogan of Jihad in this good homeland, and God bless you, O Badr, when you produced for this homeland men and men. And God bless you, O Badr, when its name is mentioned, bodies of the oppressors and tyrants tremble. So, O Badr, you are for us in the heart and in the eye, and you are for each honest and patriotic Iraqi who knows its shiny history also in the heart and in the eye, and you are for every honest and patriotic Iraqi who knows its shiny history also in the heart and in the eye. You are in the conscience of those who do not bargain on Jihad and on the history of the Mujahidin. You are in the hearts of the deprived ones who were your continuous treasure, the womb that fed you with men, one generation after another. So, from us there is every appreciation, veneration, regard and respect for you, and for your martyrs there is mercy, pleasure of the Almighty and the Gardens of Bliss, and the same for its honorable history. God’s speed, rightness and success for your heroic men by the will of Allah, the most Exalted One.
Independence in adopting decisions and stances… a reality in the right direction
As regarding the second axis, why Badr should be independent of Badr from the Martyr of the Niche Movement, this is connected to our understanding of the political work, to Badr’s history and the many roles of this outgiving Organization since its establishment and till the present day. After Allah, Praise and Exaltation belong to Him, had permitted Badr to return to the homeland from a forced migration imposed on it, and after it had laid down its weapons, bared the arms of its sons, joining the other Iraqi patriotic forces in the process of building the New Iraq, the strategy of the Martyr of the Niche (Allah sanctifies his soul) was to turn Badr Brigade into a social and political organization after it used to be a Jihadi and military one. This strategic vision was the product of an aware leading outlook of the Martyr of the Niche. It fully realized who Badr’s men were and what they were required to do in the phase of building the New Iraq. It also was fully aware of the dangers that were lying in ambush for Badr trying to harm it if it continued to bear arms in the State building phase. The Martyr of the Niche Movement granted Badr the paternal umbrella and the leadership care which this struggling Organization deserves and which is worthy of the heroic and brave Badris. But the normal canon of life is development and growth. Now Badr has reached the perfection of its political identity; therefore, to be independent in adopting decisions and stances expresses a fact which we believe that it is going in the right direction.
If the patriotic political and ideological situation develops, it will grant the sufficient area for the independence of views, programs and stances, and it is added to the general political work while not diminishing anything of it. A son leaves his father’s home when he comes of age and becomes capable in his intellect, program and spirit to make his way in this life. The same applies to political organizations: They become independent when they feel that they are ideologically and politically complete, that they have a program, a vision and a project which they can present to the masses and the masses are convinced about it. Our Iraqi public may be taken by surprise by this calm and aware separation of the Badr Organization from the Martyr of the Niche Movement, and it has the right to be surprised because we do not have many experiences in our contemporary political Iraqi history and in our past political history with regard to a separation process that is carried out within this vision and this principle. Whenever there is talk about separation in a certain political movement, the characteristics of cessation overwhelm it, whereas separation in this case has other connotations. As we described these connotations, the Martyr of the Niche Movement has this vision and philosophy for political work. This honorable Movement is paternal: It grants sufficient areas for rising, for developing, and it does not believe in the policy of exclusion, containment and of charging others of betrayal. Rather, it believes in the policy of development, growth, new additions and openness to all. The plan of the Martyr of the Niche Movement is one of the homeland in all the sense this word carries, of plans, visions and strategies. We wish success for Badr and fulfillment in its new march, and we wish for Badr to remain as we have always come to know it: Islam is its slogan, the homeland is its area, and that it does not permit anyone to bargain on it, nor will it be dragged to fields that are distant from its natural areas, that it will submit its political plan to serve the country and citizen, to safeguard its glaring history, to work towards building a shining future, by the will of Allah Almighty, and to cooperate with all other good political forces.
Allah willing, I will stay for all Iraqis, cooperating and building this homeland on sound bases…
A word I would like to direct to the dear and beloved Badris, the honorable brothers and sisters, that we safeguard our pledge of loyalty, love, affection and regard for all of you. We lived these sentiments in a lengthy history, and we shall stay loving, respecting and honoring you in all coming days. We venerate your history, sacrifices, martyrs, outgiving and stance for the sake of this beloved homeland and for defending our noble Islamic values. If there is anyone from among you who wishes to remain under the umbrella of the Martyr of the Niche Movement, his place is the heart and in the many institutions of the Martyr of the Niche Movement. And if any of you wishes to separate and join our brethren in Badr Organization and its Mujahidin, we wish him all success and fulfillment. I have made a covenant that I will not offer any direct piece of advice for anyone among the Badris about choosing to stay under the umbrella of the Martyr of the Niche Movement or moving to the mission which the dear ones in the Badr Organization will practice in Badr Organization. It is he that will make his choice. And we wish him success in whatever option he chooses. By the will of Allah, I will stay for you, with you, for all Iraqis, cooperating and building this homeland on sound bases. Also, the Citizen Bloc in the parliament as well as the governorate councils will be restricted to those who commit themselves to the directives and policies of the Martyr of the Niche Movement which are set by the command of this Movement, and the decision to stay in this bloc or to separate from it will hinge on commitment to adherence to this criterion.
World Community is Demanded to undertake strict and swift decision in the face of the Israeli aggression
We have noticed the savage Israeli aerial raids on Gaza, wounded Gaza, in the past days, on Friday and the days that followed it and during four days in a row, representing a stark violation of human rights and an encroachment on all international covenants in this regard. This blatant Israeli attack left 25 martyrs and 82 wounded persons most of whom are children and women in addition to the desolation and destruction of the infrastructure and residential buildings in Gaza. We demand the world community to adopt the strict and swift decisions to stand in the face of this continuous aggression and of the bloodletting of our Palestinian people. We are surprised about the silence of the world community, international organizations and human rights organizations towards these massacres that take place in Palestine while they shout loudly about other instances, dealing with other area dossiers differently. We also plead to the relief institutions, boards and commissions to swiftly move to deal with the existing consequences and complications, to save the wounded and provide the health care for the wounded. The Palestinian issue will remain the issue of the hearts of all Arabs and Muslims. There must be a true stance, and our Palestinian people must be supported in this ordeal to which they are exposed. Such blatant attacks will abort all attempts at calm and the talk about a truce. Such attacks make us call for a change for the truce program to one of discretion and of making a distinction in the peaceful measures which are undertaken against a vicious enemy that abuses the citizens of the Palestinian people, directing its weapons at them in this barbaric way. The Arab Summit which is scheduled to be held in Baghdad must undertake united and strict stances towards this subject so it may express a joint opinion about the Palestinian issue, emphasizing that it is a pivotal issue no matter what the transformations in the Arab land may be, and no matter what the new developments in the recent Arab reality may be. Yet the Palestinian issue will remain to be the top priority for the Arabs and Muslims no matter how deep the wounds, how multiplied and diversified they may be.
We call on concerned entities to stand firmly to prevent the use of violence to deal with the Emo and other negative phenomena
We talked about the Emo phenomenon before, and we drew attention to the danger of these conducts which some of our youths adopt and which are intruders on our promising society. We said that the cultural and knowledge vacuum is the one that prompts these youths to connect with any intrusive culture that comes from here or there so they may miss the chance to commit themselves to their religious and patriotic values and to their genuine social traditions. Also, some family ties, the insufficient parental care in our education network cause some youths to feel isolated from their natural environment, so they look for another environment and gathering in order to find their pursuit sometimes in gatherings that follow an unacceptable norm of behavior, one with which our society is not pleased. Also, the ill use of the news media and social communication networks without monitoring, in all the lean or fatty content they have, also prompt some youths who do not have immunities of knowledge and sufficient education to enlist in such situations. But the entry of this phenomenon in a studied way and its swift spread like wildfire in Iraq leaves no room for doubting that there is an intrusive agenda and an organized movement behind the spread of these negative social phenomena in our society. There are bats that work in the dark. They do not want to see Iraq on the right track. They wish no good for this people, and they know that major achievements are won through promising youths who are the great energy and the hope of the future, so they cause us to lose our chance to build, to reconstruct, to develop this country by keeping the youths busy with useless and unhealthy issues as is the case with this phenomenon. But no matter what realistic justifications we may mention and what intrusive agendas there are, this phenomenon remains one of conduct which does not transcend wrongdoing in the vast majority of those who are influenced by it. Negative phenomena are treated only through communication, ideology, education, advice and through explaining the reality of matters and discouraging the youths from running behind such wrong norms of behavior. I say it clearly and loudly that we feel quite regretful about what is widely rumored about some of those who have been influenced by the Emo phenomenon being targeted by groups with violence, by killing them. This is not the way which we endorse or accept in Iraq. Such assassinations, if true, submit many question marks about the entity that is involved, whether it is a reforming entity: Why does it not express itself? Why does not come down and communicate with these youths to advice them and to take them back to the right track? Since when has killing been the means for guidance and advice so we may now accept it in our New Iraq? We call on the concerned entities to stand firmly via the legal means to prevent the use of violence to solve the negativities in the country, in the Emo and other negative phenomena. Negativity is treated with advice, dialogue, communication, education, awareness work, not with blood. Killing in this issue is regarded as a redline, an objectionable thing which we do not tolerate or accept. We also urge our dear youths, the flowers of the New Iraq, to adhere to their genuine traditions, religious values, tolerant principles and good patriotic trends. You, Iraqis, have behind you seven thousand years of cultural, knowledge and historic depth. You are different from others. Get to know your values. Get to know your civilization. Get to know your history. This will represent true immunity against being dragged, against falling into such negative and intrusive phenomena.
We call on the ministry of culture and officials to reconsider the decision to cancel the second International Baghdad Book Fair…
We have monitored with deep regret the decision to cancel the second International Baghdad Book Fair. The declared reason is the absence of allotments for holding this fair in Baghdad. This fair was supposed to make Baghdad the destination of Arab, Islamic and international publishing houses. Thinkers, writers and publishers would have come to Baghdad in its new attire to express their interconnection. It is an important opportunity for our citizens to get to know the intellectual and cultural products in the Arab and Islamic world and in the global reality as a whole. On the sideline of this fair, many cultural, intellectual and arts seminars were supposed to be held. Contracts with publishers were supposed to be signed for books written by Iraqis on the sideline of this conference. With this step, we miss the opportunity for all these achievements and entitlements at the time when Iraq gears towards presiding over the joint Arab network, and it is supposed to undertake increasing regional and international roles and to open up on the world. We stand at the issue of the said entitlements that have stopped a project of such important dimensions of knowledge. In a budget that has been described as the biggest in Iraq’s history, one that has one hundred billion dollars, we are unable to provide means to hold this fair. This reveals soberness, indifference to culture, to knowledge, in our Iraqi reality by the officials concerned about making such decisions. We, therefore, call on the respectful ministry of culture and the respectful officials in this ministry to reconsider this decision especially since we are facing two months of natural time for holding this fair, and it can be postponed for one or two other months till it is held, and thus this big achievement is scored. Let the ministry graciously go to knock at doors and find the legal inlets to facilitate allotments which seem to be modest and limited so this big cultural project may become a reality.
Revitalizing Iraq and Baghdad with knowledge, information and culture represents a basic prelude for resolving a lengthy series of complications which we are facing in our homeland. We do not want Iraq to stay as has been said, that is, a book is read in Iraq but is not written, and it is published somewhere else. We want the book to be written, published, read and distributed from Iraq and that Iraq is turned into an important station in the Arab land and in the region for connecting thoughts, and for knowledge. Many are the pens of which we are proud in our homeland. We plead to Allah to turn these hopes into realities and to bless these efforts.
