Wednesday, January 31, 2007

This is a poster of the cult leader in Iraq. His group is named Jund As-Sama', and thus should be translated as Soldiers of the Sky (and not Army of Heaven as has been the standard translation in Western newspapers). The poster has the headline "Judge of the Sky" but I don't know if this is a reference to him. Shi`ites in Iraq are denying that he is a Shi`ite, and Sunnis are denying that he is Sunni. But his theology indicate that his group is an offshoot of Twelver Shi`ism (on offshoots, please consult the foremost expert on offshoots, Michael Husayn Young).