--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Muqtada leads the only real mass movement…" description: "\"Muqtada leads the only real mass movement in Iraq. It's a mass movement of the Shia, who are 60 percent of the population, and of poor Shia - and most ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/patrick-cockburn-28053_iraq_muqtada-leads-the-only-real-mass-movemen_737250.jpg" --- # Muqtada leads the only real mass movement in Iraq. It's a… ![“Muqtada leads the only real mass movement in Iraq. It's a mass movement of the Shia, who are 60 percent of the population, and of poor Shia - and most Shia are poor. Otherwise the place is full of sort of self-declared leaders, many of whom spend most of their time outside Iraq.” quote by Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/patrick-cockburn-28053_iraq_muqtada-leads-the-only-real-mass-movemen_737250.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/patrick-cockburn-28053_iraq_muqtada-leads-the-only-real-mass-movemen_737250.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40c/patrick-cockburn-28053_iraq_muqtada-leads-the-only-real-mass-movemen_737250.jpg) > “Muqtada leads the only real mass movement in Iraq. It's a mass movement of the Shia, who are 60 percent of the population, and of poor Shia - and most Shia are poor. Otherwise the place is full of sort of self-declared leaders, many of whom spend most of their time outside Iraq.” [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that the only genuine mass movement in Iraq is led by the Shia majority, especially the poor, contrasting with many self‑appointed leaders who operate abroad. **In simple terms:** Shia’s poor majority drives Iraq’s real mass movement, unlike distant leaders. Key Takeaway Recognize grassroots power over distant elites. Themes politics social movements class leadership Mood analytical critical informative Type political sociological When to use this quote - elections - community organizing - policy advocacy - media analysis Key Concepts political sociology grassroots activism class dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can marginalized groups sustain influence amid elite competition? - What role do external actors play in shaping internal movements? A Different Perspective The statement may oversimplify complex sectarian dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Movement Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement-iraq-2915132/) [Movement Shia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement-shia-5763297/) [Muqtada Leads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muqtada-leads-5763299/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Shia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shia/) [Shia Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shia-poor-5763298/) ## Related quotes > ['The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq,' by Hanna Batatu. Few may wish to take on this massive, obscure work, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/the-old-social-classes-and-the-revolutionary-movement-in-iraq-by/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) > [Turkey is saying that it wants to preserve Sunni dominance in Mosul. Obviously, there, the Kurds, the Shia, the Iraqi government have their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/turkey-is-saying-that-it-wants-to-preserve-sunni-dominance-in-mosul/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Muqtada is radical in the sense that he wants the U.S. occupation to end and has always said so from the beginning. Secondly, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/muqtada-is-radical-in-the-sense-that-he-wants-the-u-s-occupation-to/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [But from the moment George Bush decided to overthrow Saddam, the people who were going to benefit here were the Shia, who are 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/but-from-the-moment-george-bush-decided-to-overthrow-saddam-the/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [There are some things that could hold it together, notably oil revenues. But at the moment, the much vaunted surge has had a measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-are-some-things-that-could-hold-it-together-notably-oil/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Young Shia who have been brought up with nothing, who are pretty anarchic, pretty dangerous. In 2004 when they came close to killing me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/young-shia-who-have-been-brought-up-with-nothing-who-are-pretty/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [I don't think the whole of Iraq would be under al-Sadr, but I think he would be the predominant force on the Shia side.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/i-don-t-think-the-whole-of-iraq-would-be-under-al-sadr-but-i-think-he/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Comedians are always going to be in the showbiz middle class, you're not Brad Pitt; you're never going to be Sam Rockwell or Shia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/comedians-are-always-going-to-be-in-the-showbiz-middle-class-you-re/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [It is not coincidental that for so-called religious fundamentalists - whether they are Western or Eastern, Muslim or Christian - rigid male dominance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riane-eisler/it-is-not-coincidental-that-for-so-called-religious-fundamentalists/) [Riane Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riane-eisler/) > [I have nothing against Sean Penn. I don't even mind that he ended up divorcing Madonna. I mean, I still like Shia LaBeouf even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/i-have-nothing-against-sean-penn-i-don-t-even-mind-that-he-ended-up/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [I know of no wars started by anyone to impose lack of religion on someone else. We have lethal Sunni v Shia, Catholic against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-hoggart/i-know-of-no-wars-started-by-anyone-to-impose-lack-of-religion-on/) [Simon Hoggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-hoggart/) > [I was so lucky to be working with amazing actors like Shia and Evan and James Buckley and Mads Mikkelsen and Rupert Grint and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-bond/i-was-so-lucky-to-be-working-with-amazing-actors-like-shia-and-evan/) [Fredrik Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-bond/) > [Unfortunately, the source of all this conflict between the Sunnis and Shia is some major powers that do not want religious unity amongst Muslims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yousef-saanei/unfortunately-the-source-of-all-this-conflict-between-the-sunnis-and/) [Yousef Saanei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yousef-saanei/) > [ Until quite recently I've been wholly cut off from \[the Shias\] because their tenets forbid them to look upon an unveiled woman and my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-bell/until-quite-recently-i-ve-been-wholly-cut-off-from-the-shias-because/) [Gertrude Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-bell/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) ## More by Patrick Cockburn > [There are some things that could hold it together, notably oil revenues. But at the moment, the much vaunted surge has had a measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-are-some-things-that-could-hold-it-together-notably-oil/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Mosul stands rally at a sort of juncture of sectarian and ethnic differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/mosul-stands-rally-at-a-sort-of-juncture-of-sectarian-and-ethnic/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [I don't think the whole of Iraq would be under al-Sadr, but I think he would be the predominant force on the Shia side.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/i-don-t-think-the-whole-of-iraq-would-be-under-al-sadr-but-i-think-he/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Young Shia who have been brought up with nothing, who are pretty anarchic, pretty dangerous. In 2004 when they came close to killing me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/young-shia-who-have-been-brought-up-with-nothing-who-are-pretty/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [But from the moment George Bush decided to overthrow Saddam, the people who were going to benefit here were the Shia, who are 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/but-from-the-moment-george-bush-decided-to-overthrow-saddam-the/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Muqtada is radical in the sense that he wants the U.S. occupation to end and has always said so from the beginning. Secondly, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/muqtada-is-radical-in-the-sense-that-he-wants-the-u-s-occupation-to/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting in the Iraqi government reserves, somehow they are incapable of getting it out to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-of-dollars-sitting-in-the/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [You know, if you want to meet a lot of Iraqi leaders, the best places are the hotels in Amman or in London. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/you-know-if-you-want-to-meet-a-lot-of-iraqi-leaders-the-best-places/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [There's a lot of expectation in the Middle East that post-Obama there will be a sort of tougher U.S. line on Assad, there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-s-a-lot-of-expectation-in-the-middle-east-that-post-obama-there/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [ Muqtada belongs to the most famous religious family in Iraq, which is the al-Sadr family. He's really the third in line. \[Muqtada's father\] drew… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/muqtada-belongs-to-the-most-famous-religious-family-in-iraq-which-is/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Turkey is saying that it wants to preserve Sunni dominance in Mosul. Obviously, there, the Kurds, the Shia, the Iraqi government have their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/turkey-is-saying-that-it-wants-to-preserve-sunni-dominance-in-mosul/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [It's always sort of amazing, sitting in Baghdad, to watch visiting dignitaries being received in the Green Zone by politicians who have usually very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/it-s-always-sort-of-amazing-sitting-in-baghdad-to-watch-visiting/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Everything that happens in Iraq affects countries outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/everything-that-happens-in-iraq-affects-countries-outside/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [A defeat for ISIS in Iraq will be defeat for ISIS in Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/a-defeat-for-isis-in-iraq-will-be-defeat-for-isis-in-syria/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [There are sort of Kurdish districts there in Mosul, or there used to be, but the Kurds mostly fled or were driven out. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-are-sort-of-kurdish-districts-there-in-mosul-or-there-used-to/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) [Explore all 20 Patrick Cockburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) ## More Iraq quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Five days or five months, but it certainly isn't going to last longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/five-days-or-five-months-but-it-certainly-isn-t-going-to-last-longer/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [In the Green Zone in Iraq you have your radio, you have your food, you have your own electricity, your own toilets. Everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/in-the-green-zone-in-iraq-you-have-your-radio-you-have-your-food-you/) [Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. 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