Dr. Taghreed Abdul Amir Marhoon – College of Islamic Sciences – University of Karbala
The martyr al-Sadr produced his three calls in an interactive context with the Iraqi people prior to his arrest, delivering a speech that opposes the regime’s direction and constructs an alternative liberating discourse. In it, he sees the realization of the hopes of an oppressed people, even if the outcome is his martyrdom. It is impossible to control the level of blood in the midst of the conflicts between opposing discourses. In his first call on June 15, 1979 (20th of Rajab, 1399), the rhetorical fatherly eloquence in the opening of his speech is revealed, presenting his address in a way that is more convincing and influential to the listener. He says: “I address you – O noble, free, and honorable people – with more faith in you and your great spirit, with greater pride in your glorious history, and with greater gratitude for what your virtuous children have expressed through love, loyalty, and devotion to the leadership. They have flocked to their father to express their allegiance to Islam, their hearts full of zeal, piety, and devotion, asking me to stay with them, share their suffering, and live their pain as my own.” This beginning represents the rhetorical power of the opening, which captivates the audience, as al-Sadr does not present himself as a leader or reference figure for these masses but as a compassionate father who shares their pains and hopes. The metaphor works to draw the audience’s hearts toward the speech. He follows this with phrases of steadfastness and resistance: “I want to confirm to you – O people of my ancestors – that I am with you, in your hearts, and I will never abandon you in your trials. I will sacrifice the last drop of my blood for you in the name of God.”
In his second call, he said: “And while I recognize the depth of the ordeal that you are going through, O my people – O people of my ancestors – I believe that the martyrdom of these scholars and the best of your pure youth, and your noble children under the lashes of the tyrants, will only increase your resilience and determination to continue on this path, whether it ends in martyrdom or victory.” The repetition here is a striking element within the series of rhetorical devices in al-Sadr’s discourse with the Iraqi people. The repetition serves to solidify the meaning in the hearts and alert the audience to the message being presented. He repeated the phrase “O people of my ancestors” to affirm to them that he is one of them and that his resistance to the regime is for them, that he is steadfast in the path of resistance and jihad. Additionally, he repeats the word “tyrants” in his famous phrase from the second call: “But the masses are always stronger than the tyrants, no matter how much the tyrants grow arrogant. They may endure, but they will not surrender. And thus, the tyrants were surprised that the people are still alive and still have the power to say their word.” These are not rulers who rule fairly at times and unjustly at others but tyrants who have surpassed all limits in oppression and tyranny, and the only way to confront them is to resist them.
The repetition also has a rhetorical effect through the repeated opening of sentences, as seen in the second call: “Do you not see – O my sons and brothers – that they have abolished the religious rituals that were defended by both Ali and Omar? Do you not see that they filled the land with alcohol and pig farms and all the means of debauchery and corruption that Ali and Omar both fought against?” Through this repetitive rhetorical technique, al-Sadr addresses the corruption of the regime, calling on the masses to resist and expose the false claims and plots aimed at dividing the people.
In another place, al-Sadr criticizes the regime’s oppression, stating: “This repression, imposed by force of iron and fire on the Iraqi people, preventing them from even the most basic of rights and freedoms in practicing their religious rituals, cannot continue, and it cannot always be dealt with by force and oppression. If force were a permanent solution, the Pharaohs and tyrants would still be in power! They removed the call to prayer from the radio, and we endured. They removed the Friday prayer from the radio, and we endured. They besieged the rituals of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) and banned the majority of them, and we endured. They surrounded the mosques and filled them with security and intelligence, and we endured.” This rhetorical repetition of the word “endured” is used to emphasize the patience and suffering of the people in the face of such oppression.
Al-Sadr continues to use this technique of repetition in his calls, particularly in his third and final call, urging unity and resistance against the regime. He says: “O great people, I address you in this difficult moment of your trial and your jihad life, with all your sects and factions, Arabs and Kurds, Sunnis and Shias; for the trial is not for one sect alone, nor one ethnicity alone. Just as the trial is for all the Iraqi people, the response, the struggle, and the heroic resistance must be the reality for all the Iraqi people.”
Al-Sadr’s use of abstract rhetorical techniques is evident throughout these calls. His discourse creates a parallel text, unifying the speaker (al-Sadr) with the Iraqi masses, emphasizing their shared struggle and the unity of their goals. He refutes the regime’s attempts to portray his movement as solely Shia by stating: “We all fight under the banner of Islam, regardless of our sectarian differences.”
This rhetorical strategy is a call to action, urging the people of Iraq to resist tyranny and to come together under the banner of Islam for the liberation of their country. Al-Sadr acknowledges that these demands may cost him his life but emphasizes that these are not personal demands but the demands of a nation: “I know that these requests will cost me dearly, and may cost me my life, but these requests are not for the death of an individual. They are the feelings and will of a nation, and a nation that lives in the hearts of Muhammad and Ali and their companions will not die.”
In his final call, al-Sadr pledges his life for the cause, encouraging the Iraqi people to continue the struggle, even at the cost of their own lives. He concludes: “I declare to you, O my children, that I have resolved on martyrdom! And perhaps this is the last you will hear from me. The gates of Paradise have opened to receive the martyrs, until God grants you victory!” This powerful ending emphasizes his commitment to the cause and the ultimate goal of achieving freedom and justice for the Iraqi people.
In his final words before his martyrdom, al-Sadr expresses his hope for a united Iraq, where all its citizens, regardless of their sect, are brothers working together for the betterment of their country. He concludes: “I promise you, I am for all of you, and my goal is for all of you. Let your words unite, and let your ranks be united under the banner of Islam, to save Iraq from the nightmare of this tyrannical group, and to build a free and honorable Iraq, governed by the justice of Islam and the dignity of mankind.”
This conclusion reflects al-Sadr’s unwavering belief in the unity of the Iraqi people and his hope for a future where they are free from oppression, working together to build a better nation under the guidance of Islamic principles.
References
- “The Three Calls of Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr”, Tasnim International News Agency, website.
- “Rhetoric”, Aristotle, edited by: Abdul Rahman Badawi, Dar Al-Qalam, Beirut, 1979.
- “Rhetoric of the Audience: Concepts and Foundations”, edited and presented by: Dr. Salah Hassan Haway and Dr. Abdul Wahab Sadiqi, Dar Shahryar, Basra, Iraq, 1st edition, 2017.
- “Revolutionary Rhetoric: The Discourse of the Arab Spring – Formation Elements and Functions of Influence”, prepared and presented by: Dr. Said Al-Awadi, Dar Shahryar, Basra, Iraq, 1st edition, 2017.
- “Rhetoric of the Audience: Humanities in the Era of Mass Responses”, Al-Alama Journal published by the Text Linguistics and Discourse Analysis Laboratory, Qasdi Merbah University, Algeria, in collaboration with Al-Muthanna University, Iraq, Issue 13, 2021.
