Sunni Sheikh Abdul Malik al-Saadi has taken over the religious leadership in Sunni regions, having remained out of sight since 2003. Saadi reintroduced himself, however, to the scene during the Anbar protests at the end of last year.
Descended from a clan in the city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, Saadi was born in the city of Hit, a township in the province of Anbar, south of Baghdad.