An arrest warrant is being executed for radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, advocate of violence against coalition troops and promoter of anti-Americanism, who proclaimed September 11th as "a gift from God.” He is wanted for the murder of rival Shiite cleric, Abdel-Majid al-Khoei. Whether he surrenders peaceably or resists, this is a very important moment in the history of the new and free Iraq, and in the global War on Terror.

The idea of democracy in the Middle East is one that is inherently foreign. Islamic law, both responsible and fanatical, has stood as the ruling class since God can remember. But in the most recent past it is the aggressive voice of fanaticism that has captured power. From the Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1970’s to Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin, the Taliban and al Qaida, it would seem that disingenuous "clerics”, those who portray themselves as holy men in order to seize political supremacy, have seen the allure of power through the bastardization of the Koran and manipulation of the faithful, and they have taken advantage.

The devious intentions of power-hungry clerics of a disingenuous and fanatical ilk are exactly what the newly freed Iraqi people don’t need. But the neutralization of such popular clerics, however fanatical and manipulative in nature, will prove to be a delicate maneuver. If done without finesse it could not only inflame the anti-American sentiment in the Arab world but literally destroy the chances of a successful establishment of democracy in Iraq.

While it is a good thing Sadr is finally being called to justice for the murder of al-Khoei, it is troubling that he walks so close to the line with his advocating of violence and murder against coalition forces without crossing over into violation of the law. How can democracy and freedom reign supreme in a land where clerics like Sadr are free to spout their hatred and advocate violence under the guise of religion? The question is a perplexing one, to say the least.

The idea that someone would be detained or arrested because of their use of free speech, no matter how incendiary, cannot be. It contradicts everything a free and open democracy stands for. While the value of this ideal may either be upheld or diminished depending on how the new Iraqi government sets up its permanent constitution, it must today be embraced with the full magnitude of importance that Americans put on their own free speech. Anything less would label us as hypocritical around the world. So the removal of a cleric, Sadr for example, because of hate-speech or incitement is not an option.

Further, and I do not mean to paint myself as a proponent of what Sadr espouses or stands for – I am not, if the world is to see a functional democracy in Iraq where the freedom to practice all religions exist, the right to speak freely from a religious pulpit must be defended. Because these clerics hide behind their bastardization of the Koran as holy men they find themselves exempt from persecution if we are to, again, not be found hypocritical.

In this instance the coalition and the freedom loving people of Iraq have dodged a bullet, literally. Sadr has usurped the law by advocating the murder of another human being. Politically motivated, Sadr tried to maneuver violently in an effort to eliminate his competition in the quest for totalitarian power. This practice has been unattractively popular in the Middle East. It can be argued Sadr misinterpreted the challenges posed by the setting up of a constitutional democracy in Iraq. Where the freedom loving people of Iraq see these challenges as opportunities on a road to democracy Sadr saw them as an opportunity to capture religious power and political advantage, advantage mired in the fanaticism of the Arab world’s status quo. This time the fanatical cleric was afforded enough rope to hang himself, rhetorically of course.

Sadr’s arrest will prove to be a big issue for the coalition forces, the Iraqi Governing Council and Sadr’s fanatical followers, although for different reasons. Most likely it will incite Sadr’s followers to violence, something that shouldn’t surprise anyone. That is what fanatics do in the Middle East. Every time something out of the ordinary happens in the Arab world they take to the streets in mass, teetering on the brink of violence, burning things in effigy, stoning something or other, and on and on (these actions in themselves present a quandary yet define the term fanatic at the same time). But this time it will be a bit different. For his followers Sadr’s arrest will be tantamount to blasphemy and a crime against free speech. For the Iraqi Governing Council it will be a major hurdle in avoiding what could be a bloody civil war after the transition of power. And for the coalition forces it will be about a message – a message of transition, a message of enablement, a message of vigilance.

The coalition and Iraqi forces must be very careful to execute the extraction, arrest and prosecution of Moqtada Sadr in a most thorough and just way. It must be understood in every corner of the Islamic world that he is being arrested and tried for killing a man not because of his religious fanaticism, no matter how outrageous it may be. By prosecuting Sadr fairly and successfully the message will be sent forth that a separation of religion and politics is in place in the newly formed democracy of Iraq and that murder, no matter what the reason, will not be tolerated. If this is done effectively democracy will succeed. If it fails there is a good chance that disaster will ensue.

It could be said that everything has led to this, the proverbial line in the sand that stands up to religious fanaticism of the Islamic world. To say the least, this will be one of the major events of the War on Terror. Where 1962 saw 13 days in October…

Frank Salvato is a political media consultant and the managing editor for The New Media Journal.us. He is a contributing writer for The Washington Dispatch, GOPUSA, OpinionEditorials, Men’s News Daily, Canada Free Press & AmericanDaily. His pieces are regularly featured in Townhall.com. He has appeared as a guest on The O’Reilly Factor, The Kevin Matthews Radio Show (Chicago) and The Brad Messer Radio Show (San Antonio). His pieces have been recognized by the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention and are occasionally featured in The Washington Times and The London Morning Paper as well as other national and international publications.