Shafaq News-Najaf
Iraqi politicalanalyst Ghaith al-Tamimi faces renewed calls for a broadcast ban and tribaldisavowal over public statements praising Israel, after Muqtada al-Sadr, leaderof the Patriotic Shiite Movement and one of Iraq's most influential Shiitereligious and political figures, urged Iraqi television channels on Wednesdayto stop hosting him.
Al-Sadr'sstatement characterized al-Tamimi as an “agent of Iraq's enemies who had tradedhis religion for personal gain,” and said no one should engage with him. Al-Sadralso urged al-Tamimi's tribe to publicly disown him to protect its reputation.
Born in 1981 inKadhimiya and living in the UK, al-Tamimi trained at the Shiite religiousseminary in Najaf and specialized in Islamic thought. He heads the Iraqi Centerfor Diversity Management and has appeared in recent weeks praising Israelpublicly while directing sharp criticism at Palestinians.
Iraq'sparliament passed legislation, introduced by al-Sadr’s parliamentary bloc inMay 2022, titled "Criminalizing Normalization and Establishment ofRelations with the Zionist Entity," with 275 of the 329-seat assemblyvoting in favor. The law makes violations punishable by death or lifeimprisonment for all Iraqis, whether inside or outside the country, if theyestablish relations with Israel, visit it, or promote normalization.
