Iraqi cleric: Moving US embassy to Jerusalem is ‘declaration of war’

An influential Islamic cleric called for “a special division to liberate Jerusalem” if the decision to move the US embassy is implemented.

Iraqi Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a major figurehead in recent years among Iraq’s Shiite Muslims in fighting against US soldiers in Iraq, said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump would essentially be declaring war on Islam if he follows through with his plan to move the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“Transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem would be a public and more-explicit-than-ever declaration of war against Islam,” al-Sadr said in a statement.

The Iraqi cleric called for the Islamic and Arab world to form “a special division to liberate Jerusalem” if the decision to move the embassy is implemented. The Arab League should dissolve itself if it does not take an unequivocal stand in opposing the move, he said.

Al-Sadr also called for diplomatic responses if Trump moves ahead with his plan, suggesting “the immediate closure of the US embassy in Iraq” as well as that of all other Israeli and American embassies in Arab and Muslim countries.

Both Hamas, a Sunni-Islamic terrorist group, and al-Sadr have been supported by the Shiite Muslim regime in Iran.

By Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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