Published January 14, 2015
A Sunni Muslim (search) cleric was shot dead Saturday after he left a mosque in the Iraqi capital, a spokesman for a religious group said.
Sheik Dhamer al-Dhari (search) was walking down a street near his mosque when gunmen opened fire from a car, killing him, according to Sheik Mohammed al-Faidhy, spokesman of the Association of Muslim Scholars.
Al-Dhari was not a prominent member of the association, but his half-brother, Hareth al-Dhari, serves as the organization's secretary-general.
Last week, the Association of Muslim Scholars (search) issued a statement saying that "no one in his right mind" would reject elections in principle "but at the same time we don't want to have nominal or hasty elections and pay a hefty price for that."
Many Sunnis have opposed calls by the rival Shiite Muslim clergy for early legislative elections in Iraq.
Al-Faidhy, the association spokesman, said he expected more such attacks in the run-up to the scheduled June 30 transfer of sovereignty from the U.S.-run coalition to an Iraqi leadership as different groups compete for power.
"We expect ... that Iraq would witness many such operations to create chaos and kindle strife," he said.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/sunni-cleric-shot-dead-in-baghdad