Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Hussein Ismael Al-Sadr is a high-ranking Shi’a Muslim religious scholar in Iraq. He was born and lives in the al-Kazimiya district of Baghdad, Iraq. He is widely seen as a highly respected unifying figure that has been called upon to reach across Iraq's ethno-sectarian divides. His lineage goes back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, through the seventh Shia Imam, Musa al-Kazim.
Early life
Hussein Al-Sadr was born in al-Kazimiya, Iraq, to a family of notable religious scholars. He spent his early years being schooled by his father, the prominent scholar Ismael Al-Sadr in the studies of Arabic language, and Quranic interpretation while simultaneously pursuing more conventional primary and secondary schooling. Upon completing these, Al-Sadr enrolled in the prestigious College of Jurisprudence in Najaf, where he was taught by his iconic uncle Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr.
Persecution
Following the assassination of his uncle Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr by the Ba’athist regime in 1980, Hussein Al-Sadr was subject to constant harassment at the hands of the Iraqi security forces. Having suffered horrendous torture and a prolonged house arrest because of his association with his uncle, despite he himself being a politically passive figure. It is thought that the Ayatollah was arrested 18 times, often being “hung by his feet for hours from a fan-like construction that continuously rotated”. The injuries sustained during these lengthy detainments have left the Ayatollah with ailments he suffers from to this day.
Philanthropy
Many of Ayatollah Hussein Al-Sadr's recent efforts have been directed at philanthropic projects. Having already established an impressive orphanage in his hometown of al-Kazimiya, the Ayatollah has since directed his attention to a wide-ranging list of development programmes. Starting with a network of cultural and vocational training centres named after his late uncle and teacher Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr, the Ayatollah then established a similar network of centres aimed at empowering Iraqi women, whose position in society had declined a great deal in the sanctions years. Al-Sadr's portfolio of projects now includes dozens of schools, community health clinics and training centres that seek to operate at the most fundamental, grass-roots of Iraqi society.
The Baghdad Religious Accords
The issue of reconciliation and dialogue between Iraq's different religious and ethnic communities has featured heavily in the Ayatollah's recent efforts. On the 24th of February 2004, he hosted the Baghdad Religious Accord with Canon Andrew White, "The Vicar of Baghdad", an agreement reached between 39 representatives of Iraq's different communities, efforts representing “the first time in the country’s history [that] Iraq’s leaders had agreed to work together”. The Accord led to the establishment of the Iraq Centre for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace (ICDRP). Chaired initially by Dr. Mowaffak Al-Rubaie, the Centre sought to address six key issues it saw as being vitally important for Iraq's long-term progress:
Women, religion and democracy
Youth and young people
The media
Religious freedoms and human rights
Inter-religious dialogue
Conflict prevention and resolution.
The Accord
In the name of God who is Almighty, Merciful and Compassionate, We who have gathered as clerics, intellectuals and political leaders representing all religions and doctrines pray and appeal for the peace of Iraq and declare our commitment to doing all in our power to ensure the ending of all acts of violence and bloodshed that deny the right to life, freedom and dignity. ‘We have dignified humankind’ (The Holy Quran)
According to our faith traditions, killing innocents in the name of God is a desecration of the laws of heaven and defames religion not only in Iraq but in the world. We also declare to the world at large that: