Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim

Who was Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim?

Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim is a deceased Iraqi detainee,; c. 1970 – January 29, 2007, also known as al-Ali bin Ali bin Abi Talib, claimed to be from Hilla, Iraq, was the leader of an armed extremist Shiite Islam cult named Jund al-Samaa based in Iraq. He claimed to be the Hidden Imam and Mahdi. He was detained twice in recent years. He was also known to have connections to the former regime of Saddam Hussein since 1993. He was possibly Ahmad al-Hassan who claims to be the son of the Mahdi.

After Saddam Hussein was toppled in the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, Abdul-Zahra's group appeared to be a legitimate political movement. Soon Abdul-Zahra, who was in his mid-30s, began telling followers that he was the reincarnation of the Ali ibn Abu Talib, the first Shia Imam as well as the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. His followers were said to include Sunnis and Shiites, Iraqis and foreigners, men and women.