Soldiers of Heaven
Encyclopedia
The Soldiers of Heaven or Jund As-Samaa , is an armed Iraq
i Shi'a messianic
sect
led by Dia Abdulzahra, who reportedly died in fighting in Basra, Iraq on 18 January 2008.
The group is a destructive cult
, believing that spreading chaos will hasten the return of the 12th Imam.
, a prophet
or messiah-like figure in Islam.
near Najaf
where it is alleged about 200-300 of their members were killed, including its leader, and 300-400 were captured. Asaad Abu Gilel, the governor
of Najaf
has claimed that members of the group, including women and children, planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims
and kill leading Shi'a clerics during the Ashoura holiday.
Significant questions remain regarding the group and the combat effectiveness it displayed, including shooting down an American AH-64 Apache
helicopter gunship. Virtually all information about the group and the battle has come from Iraqi officials, who have released incomplete and sometimes contradictory accounts. Iraqi officials, including Najaf deputy governor Abdel Hussein Attan, had claimed that the group had links with al-Qaeda
, but given that Sunni jihad
ists are fiercely anti-Shia, this seemed unlikely.
After the battle, Iraqi police rounded up hundreds of sect members and put them on trial. On September 2, 2007, the criminal court passed judgement on 458 accused. Ten leaders of the Soldiers of Heaven were sentenced to death, 54 members were released, and the rest were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 15 years to life, Najaf police chief Brigadier General
Abdel Karim Mustapha said.
On January 18, 2008 the Soldiers of Heaven were involved in fighting
in Basra
and Nassiriya.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Shi'a messianic
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
sect
Sect
A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
led by Dia Abdulzahra, who reportedly died in fighting in Basra, Iraq on 18 January 2008.
The group is a destructive cult
Destructive cult
A destructive cult is a religion or other group which has caused or has a high probability of causing harm to its own members or to others. Some researchers define "harm" in this case with a narrow focus, specifically groups which have deliberately physically injured or killed other individuals,...
, believing that spreading chaos will hasten the return of the 12th Imam.
Leadership
A previous leader, Dia Abdul-Zahra, also known as Abu Kamar, claimed to be the MahdiMahdi
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...
, a prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
or messiah-like figure in Islam.
Membership
The members of the group, which numbered around 1,000, appeared to be mostly poor Shi'a farmers from an agricultural area 19 kilometres northeast of Najaf, but they also seemed to have been heavily armed. In spite of their poverty, the group appeared to have amassed a great deal of wealth.Activities
On January 28, 2007, the group apparently fought a bizarre battle with Iraqi and U.S. forcesBattle of Najaf (2007)
The Battle of Najaf took place on 28 January 2007 at Zarqa near Najaf, Iraq, betweenIraqi Security Forces The Battle of Najaf took place on 28 January 2007 at Zarqa (alt. Zarga) near Najaf, Iraq, betweenIraqi Security Forces The Battle of Najaf took place on 28 January 2007 at Zarqa (alt. Zarga)...
near Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
where it is alleged about 200-300 of their members were killed, including its leader, and 300-400 were captured. Asaad Abu Gilel, the governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
has claimed that members of the group, including women and children, planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
and kill leading Shi'a clerics during the Ashoura holiday.
Significant questions remain regarding the group and the combat effectiveness it displayed, including shooting down an American AH-64 Apache
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
helicopter gunship. Virtually all information about the group and the battle has come from Iraqi officials, who have released incomplete and sometimes contradictory accounts. Iraqi officials, including Najaf deputy governor Abdel Hussein Attan, had claimed that the group had links with al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, but given that Sunni jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
ists are fiercely anti-Shia, this seemed unlikely.
After the battle, Iraqi police rounded up hundreds of sect members and put them on trial. On September 2, 2007, the criminal court passed judgement on 458 accused. Ten leaders of the Soldiers of Heaven were sentenced to death, 54 members were released, and the rest were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 15 years to life, Najaf police chief Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Abdel Karim Mustapha said.
On January 18, 2008 the Soldiers of Heaven were involved in fighting
2008 Iraqi Day of Ashura fighting
The 2008 Iraqi Day of Ashura fighting was a series of clashes that occurred on the Islamic holy day of Ashura on January 18, 2008 and the next day in the Iraqi cities of Basra and Nasiriyah...
in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
and Nassiriya.
Beliefs
The Soldiers of Heaven held the following beliefs:- Their former leader Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim was the Mahdi and he was the reincarnation of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib.
- Spreading chaos will hasten the return of the Hidden Imam.
- They regarded the religious leadership in Najaf as illegitimate.