Al-Sadr and his lieutenants also have repeatedly sought to dispel suspicions that they are seeking to establish an Iranian-style clerical government in Iraq.
Such assurances do little to ease fears among more moderate Iraqis who are concerned by the militant tone of some mosque imams from the al-Sadr group on issues like a strict dress code for women and Islam's prohibition on liquor.
Responding to those worries, the group has one of its leading clerics, Mohammed al-Fartoussi, traveling across Iraq to meet with mosque imams to ensure that their Friday sermons don't include threats against liquor stores or women not conforming to the dress code.
"We had some imams saying women will be beaten in the streets if some of their hair is showing and liquor stores burned down," al-Fartoussi said. "This is not what we are about. A gentle advice to such women or a tap on the shoulder should suffice."
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