Dia al-Asadi

Background

Al-Asadi was born in 1969 in Basra Governorate.

Education

He studied English language and literature in the English Department of the College of Education, University of Basra 1989 - 1992.

Career

The Al-Ahrar Bloc is considered a Sadrist Movement with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as its spiritual leader. After his graduation with a BA and a first rank among more than 90 students, he worked as a research assistant in the university for three years. Continuing with a Masters degree, he was a university instructor for another three years.

Upon release the following year, he sought asylum in Jordan where he also taught English at a Al-Balqa Applied University for three years and returned to Iraq in 2004 after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. From 2005 to 2006 he worked at the very department he graduated from, then he worked at Basrah Studies Center until 2007

He taught English language and literature at Iraqi universities and earned a fellowship in International Development from The Department of International Development at Birmingham University. He was appointed Minister of State in the 2010 Iraqi government, but was removed in a government reshuffle the following year.

Among his interests are: painting and calligraphy, writing short stories, and lecturing and public speech.

Achievements

• In 2014, he stood for National Elections as a representative for voters in the Southern and Northern parts of Baghdad and won a seat in the Parliament and became Head of Al-Ahrar Bloc until 2015.

Politics

In 2011, he was elected as Secretary General of Al-Aharar Bloc and became in charge of all political movemnet connected to Sadrists in Iraq. Al-Asadi has published several articles and critical essays in Arabic and English. He gave interviews in both languages to local and international channels and media and participated in tens of events and training courses as a participant and a trainer.