Iraqi cleric's aide detained, sparking Shiite rivalry

DIWANIYAH, Iraq (AFP) — An imam of a prominent Shiite mosque in the city of Diwaniyah has been detained by Iraqi forces, an official said Saturday, sparking fresh rivalry between Iraq's two main Shiite groups.

Sheikh Hussein al-Karbalaie, imam of the Imam Ali mosque which is run by the movement of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, was arrested on Friday as he was leading the weekly prayers, the official in Diwaniyah governorate told AFP.

"Iraqi forces arrested him as he was speaking against the government and according to the law anyone who uses abusive language against the government can be arrested," the official said.

The Sadr movement accused its rival, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) headed by powerful Shiite politician Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, of instigating the arrest in a bid to weaken the Sadrists ahead of local elections due in October.

The province of Diwaniyah in ...