Parties
and Leaders
- Sunni Parties and Leaders -
Photo taken from http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_ en.asp?news_id=185057&n=12
Iraq Islamic Party
The Iraqi Islamic Party is a strong force in al-Anbar,a largely Sunni province west of Baghdad, where it holds a majority of seats on the provincial council.
The group is the Iraqi branch of the moderate Sunni Islamic party Muslim Brotherhood, which is well established in the Middle East.
Mohsen Abdel Hamid, a prolific author on the Koran and was also a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, is the party's leader.
The Iraqi Islamic Party played an important role in negotiating an end to the siege in Falluja (a Sunni town), which in April 2004 became the scene of bloody battles between insurgents and US marines.
Photo taken from http://www.brandonblog.homestead.com
Muslim Scholars Association
Although not a political party, the Muslim Scholars' Association - an organization of Sunni Muslim scholars - becomes increasingly influential.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein it has begun administering a significant charitable fund for the upkeep of religious buildings.
The Association's leader, Sheikh Harith Sulayman al-Dhari, is also the head of a Sunni tribe the west of Baghdad and a former professor of Islamic Law at Baghdad University.
The Muslim Scholars' Association strongly rejected the Iraqi Governing Council, but has also condemned atrocities by insurgents.
Along with the Iraqi Islamic Party, The Muslim Scholars' Council has been involved in negotiations over Western hostages and to end the fighting in Falluja, arranging aid convoys into the city while under siege.