Saleh al-Hamdani, a program presenter on the state-run Iraqi channel, faces a threat to his professional future due to a post on his Facebook account, which political parties considered an insult to the family of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, amid calls from activists and journalists to protect him.

Al-Hamdani denied the existence of a link between his publication and the al-Sadr family, and said that the publication he wrote 10 years ago and recently republished was "understood by mistake," noting that "there are those who used it for sick purposes."

He explained that "what was written in the form of a story on the lips of Mrs. Umm Musa (University of Garbage) was understood to be an insult to the memory of Amna al-Sadr (the daughter of al-Huda) or her first brother Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, may God have mercy on them, and sincere apologies to those who understood that there was a mockery," referring to the founder of the party The Islamic call, the prominent reference and thinker among the Shiites of Iraq, Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, who was executed along with his sister Amna al-Sadr during the era of the late President Saddam Hussein in the spring of 1980.

Al-Hamdani said, "As for the politicians and their mouthpieces who exploited the publication for their sick ends, there is no apology for them. They have traded enough with the martyrs of the al-Sadr family and other Iraqi martyrs, in order to climb and gain access to money, influence and power, and they always surrounded us in order to suppress the freedom of expression that we will continue to defend and demand." .

Clarification / The post I published 10 years ago, and re-published it today, and it seems that he misunderstood that it insulted the martyred Alawite, Amna Al-Sadr (the girl…

Posted by Saleh Al Hamdani on Friday, 8 April 2022

split

Iraqis were divided on social media platforms between demands to hold al-Hamdani accountable and to terminate his contract with the government channel, and between denouncing what al-Hamdani was exposed to, which was considered deliberate targeting.

The head of the State of Law coalition and former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said, through his account on Twitter, "It is not possible to remain silent about Al-Iraqiya channel, which harbors Baathists and bad people."

pic.twitter.com/d8aFOZsvwl

— Nouri Al-Maliki (@nourialmalikiiq) April 8, 2022

Mahmoud al-Rubaie, a spokesman for the political bureau of the "Al-Sadiqoon" movement, affiliated with Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, wrote on his Twitter account, "Al-Hamdani must be expelled and punished from the Iraqi media network, and deterrent legal measures must be taken against him. Otherwise, we will not guarantee a great public anger that may affect those responsible."

Al-Rubaie added, "Everyone should know that harming the greatest Islamic and national symbol known in the modern history of Iraq will not go unpunished."

The hateful playboy Salih al-Hamdani must be expelled and punished from the Iraqi Media Network, and deterrent legal measures should be taken against him. On the contrary, we will not guarantee a great public anger that may affect those responsible, and everyone should know that prejudice to the greatest Islamic and national symbol known in the modern history of Iraq will not pass without an account.

— Mahmoud Al-Rubaie (@AlrubaeayMahmod) April 8, 2022

The Shiite cleric, Mortada al-Modrasi, commented, through his Twitter account, saying, "It is not enough to hold the bad man accountable. Rather, the one who brought him with a group of clowns against religion and values ​​​​in the official media establishment must be held accountable and expelled."

It is not enough to hold the wrongdoer accountable. The one who brought him along with a group of clowns against religion and values ​​in the official media establishment must be held accountable and expelled.

— Murtadha Al-Modrasi (@smortadha) April 9, 2022

On the other hand, the media, Jumana Mumtaz, considered that Al-Hamdani apologized for the slip of the tongue that he had fallen into, and this does not require all this attack caused by a culture of congestion and fragmentation between political and social currents.

The proverb says, “Seven people who yoke, many slanderers.” As if a slip of expression that @Salehalhamadani apologized for was the focus of many people to pour their accumulated anger on him as a result of a culture of congestion and fragmentation between political and social currents.


Solidarity with #Saleh_Al-Hamdani, whom we knew well, respected;

benevolently

humble.

— Jumana Mumtaz (@jumana_mumtaz) April 9, 2022

The researcher, Hussein Ahmed Al-Sarhan, wrote on his Twitter account, "Al-Siddiq Saleh Al-Hamdani is a man of high morals, and he is known for conveying stories and tales in a critical manner."

Al-Sarhan added that "insulting and slandering him and his family's right and incitement against him, and the exploitation of the honorable al-Sadr family in auctions with known objectives at this time, and supporting those who have corrupted and squandered public money, disguised as the principles of the martyr al-Sadr, is the same offense."

Al-Siddiq #Saleh_Al -Hamdani


is a man of high morals, and he is known for conveying stories and tales in a critical manner.


Insulting and slandering him and his family and inciting against him, and the exploitation of the honorable al-Sadr family in auctions with known objectives at this time, and the support of those who have corrupted and squandered public money, disguised as the principles of the martyr al-Sadr, are the same abuse.

— Hussein A. AL-Sarhan Hussein Ahmad Al-Sarhan (@hussein_sarhan1) April 9, 2022

The journalist writer Falah Al-Mishal commented, through his Twitter account, saying, "Saleh Al-Hamdani did not make a mistake and did not offend the honorable Al-Sadr family, the first martyr Al-Sadr and his sister.

Al-Mishal added that "Al-Hamdani criticized the hypocrites of thieves and corrupt people and covered the addresses of the martyrs, and let the destitute eat from the dustbins of the corrupt."

Activist Hussein Al-Azmawi said, via his Twitter account, "Saleh Al-Hamdani is a free pen and a good model for the presenter and professional journalist, one of the believers in the media message of change."

Al-Azmawi added that "the public incitement and threats he (Al-Hamdani) is exposed to by the Dawa Party and their supporters is dangerous and shameful and threatens freedom of expression in Iraq."

Saleh al-Hamdani did not err and did not offend the honorable family of al-Sadr and the first martyr al-Sadr and his sister. Rather, they erred in reading what was written with the intent of setting up this smart, brave, critical pen and defender of people’s rights.

— Falah Al-Mishaal (@Falah_Almashal) April 9, 2022