Hussein Ismail al-Sadr

Ayatollah al-Faqih Seyyed Hussein Ismail al-Sadr is the most senior Shi'a cleric in Baghdad, Iraq. He heads the Ayatollah Seyyed Hussein Ismail al-Sadr Foundation Trust, which runs humanitarian, development, and peace and reconciliation projects in Iraq. In particular, the organization promotes dialogue across ethnic lines. Heavily involved in development projects, Al-Sadr has worked to build numerous training centers, orphanages, and hospitals within Iraq. Al-Sadr founded the Humanitarian Dialogue Foundation, a London-based organization that works to promote Iraqi culture in the West while building bridges between various faith groups in Iraq. He also founded al-Salam television network to promote religious moderation. Al-Sadr was one of the signatories in October 2007 of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter addressed to Christian leaders in an appeal for peace and cooperation between the two world religions.