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Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim (1970 - January 29, 2007), also known as al-Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib, claimed to be from Hilla, Iraq, was the leader of an armed extremist Shiite Islam cult named Jund al-Samaa ("Soldiers of Heaven" in Arabic, a well-armed Shia cult regarding the religious leadership in Najaf as illegitimate) based in Iraq. He claimed to be the Hidden Imam and Mahdi. Before his death, he was detained twice in recent years. He was also known to have connections to the former regime of Saddam Hussein since 1993. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... Al Hillah is a city in central Iraq on the river Euphrates, 100km (62 miles) south of Baghdad, with an estimated population of 364,700 in 1998. ... Shia Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 10-15% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... This article does not discuss cult in its original sense of religious practice; for that usage see Cult (religious practice). ... The Soldiers of Heaven or Jund al-Samaa is an Iraqi Shia armed group, considered heretical by mainstream Shiite. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... Najaf (Arabic: ‎; BGN: An Najaf) is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. ... This article is about the Shia Imam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic: [1]; April 28, 1937[2] – December 30, 2006[3]), was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

After Saddam Hussein was toppled in the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, Abdul-Zahra's group appeared to be a legitimate political movement. But soon Abdul-Zahra, who is in his mid-30s, began telling followers that he was the reincarnation of the Ali ibn Abu Talib, revered Shiite saint. Abdul-Zahra was desribed as tall, fair-skinned, rugged and handsome. His followers were said to include Sunnis and Shiites, Iraqis and foreigners, men and women. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic: [1]; April 28, 1937[2] – December 30, 2006[3]), was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ... Reincarnation, literally to be made flesh again, as a doctrine or mystical belief, holds the notion that some essential part of a living being (or in some variations, only human beings) can survive death in some form, with its integrity partly or wholly retained, to be reborn in a new... Ali ibn Abi Talib (علي بن أبي طالب) (c. ... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are usually depicted as having halos. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ...

2007 Ashoura Attacks

Zahra Kadim was credited with planning a massive attack in Najaf during the Day of Ashura holiday. Plans called for members of the Jund al-Samaa to disguise themselves as pilgrims and suddenly open fire, in attempts to assassinate as many leading Shiite clerics as possible and cause overall disruption of the holiday. Beforehand, however, Zahra Kadim had already dispatched three gunmen to a hotel where senior Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's office was located, with plans to attack the office and consequentially assassinate the leader. Najaf (Arabic: ‎; BGN: An Najaf) is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. ... It has been suggested that Remembrance of Muharram be merged into this article or section. ... Monument to pilgrims in Burgos, Spain This article is on religious pilgrims. ... assassin, see Assassin (disambiguation) Jack Ruby assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald in a very public manner. ... A cleric is: A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals; or A member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Death

Iraqi officials claim that Abdul-Zahra was killed in the bloody battle with the government forces, and news agency pictures show a dead man closely resembling him. They said the group planned to attack the Imam Ali shrine at the heart of the city during the annual Ashura holy period and kill the Shiite religious leaders. Combatants Iraq United States United Kingdom Soldiers of Heaven Commanders Othman al-Ghanemi Ahmed Ismail Katte† Dia Abdul-Zahra†[1] Strength unknown 800 Casualties 11-25 killed (Iraqi forces) 2 killed (US) Iraqi estimates of about 263 killed, 502 captured (disputed; see below) The 2007 Battle of Najaf took place... Exterior view of Imam Ali Mosque The Imam Ali Mosque, also known as Meshed Ali or the Tomb of Ali, is a mosque located in Najaf, Iraq. ... The Day of Aashurah, sometimes spelled ‘Ashurah or Aashoorah, falls on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. ...

Zahra Kadim was killed during a fierce gun battle with United States, British, and New Iraqi army forces in Najaf on January 29, 2007. He was found wearing jeans, a coat, and a hat, in addition to being armed with two pistols. He was thirty-seven years old at death. The Iraqi Army is a component of the Iraqi Security Forces tasked with assuming responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Blue Jeans Jeans are trousers traditionally made from denim, but may also be made from a variety of fabrics including corduroy. ... Coat can refer to any one of the following: The fur coat of a mammal. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ...

The footage appeared to show the body of Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib, wrapped in a blanket. His face, with a neatly trimmed beard, matched a photo in a pamphlet found at the site entitled "Holy Coming", which identified him as the Mahdi.[1] Polish soldiers reading a German leaflet during the Warsaw Uprising A pamphlet is an unbound booklet (that is, without a hard cover or binding). ...

Apparently, he had been claiming he was the Mahdi, in efforts to hide his real identity and recruit new members to the cult. [2] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

• Gamel, Kim. "Iraqi army kills leader of Shiite cult", Associated Press, 2007-01-29. Retrieved on 2007-01-29.

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• BBC News: Bizarre tale of Shia messianic cult plot
• LA Times: Doomsday cult said to be at center of Iraqi battle