Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum

Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum is a prominent Islamic leader and politician in Iraq.

Al-Uloum was a longtime opponent of the rule of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. While exiled from Iraq, he worked hard to oppose the dictator with the intent of eventually replacing Saddam's rule with a democracy which allowed all of the different cultures within Iraq to live together in peace.

After the United States deposed Saddam Hussein in 2003, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Al-Uloum was appointed to the Iraq interim governing council. Though the cleric had been skeptical of American motives behind the 2003 invasion, he agreed to participate in the multi-ethnic interim government and was appointed to the nine-member rotating presidency.

In August of 2003 Mohammed al-Hakim, a great friend of al-Uloum, was killed in a car bombing. Shortly after, Al-Uloum announced his voluntary suspension from the council, citing the failure of the council's ability to maintain law and order in post-war Iraq.