BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN)  -- A top Iraqi political figure -- who also is an imam at a prominent Shiite mosque in the capital -- urged the abolition of militias Friday and decried violence and pervasive corruption in Baghdad's Sadr City.



Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir is a parliament member and a representative of the most influential Shiite cleric.



Sheikh Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir, speaking at Buratha Mosque, blamed the corruption on followers of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.



Al-Saghir is the most senior representative in Baghdad of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, arguably the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq. As a member of Iraq's parliament, Al-Saghir represents the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, part of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance.



His political group dominates the Iraqi security forces and has been fighting members of a rival Shiite group, al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia.



He said the Supreme Council, part of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance, once had an armed group called the Badr Brigade that is now a renamed non-military organization. He repeated Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's call for all armed groups not affiliated with the government to disband.



"We said from the beginning, and since 2003, the necessity of laying down the weapons by all, and the weapons should be in the hand of the state," al-Saghir said.



He praised Iraqi security forces' efforts in Basra, the southern Shiite city where al-Maliki launched an offensive in March. The cleric said al-Maliki freed the region of gangs.



"We can say that the Iraqi security forces have made a great change in terms of establishing the security and imposing the law," al-Saghir said, adding that effective security must be imposed to ensure the fairness of this autumn's provincial elections.



"The elections will be tomorrow," he said, meaning soon. "How can we respect ourselves as politicians, political parties and officials within the government? How can we respect ourselves by saying we conduct honest elections while there are gangs controlling areas or provinces?"



Meanwhile, Sadrist cleric Suhail al-Iqabi delivered a fiery sermon in the eastern part of Baghdad as hundreds of Sadr City residents sat on the street performing Friday prayers. Al-Iqabi said an "act of genocide" is taking place in the town.



Speaking to hundreds of worshippers chanting pro-Sadr slogans, al-Iqabi accused the government of holding a grudge against Sadrists and the people of Sadr City "who are facing genocide in every sense of the word, cutting off the water, electricity and shelling the innocent civilians, killing women and children and detaining women."



His sermon included a prayer asking God to strengthen al-Sadr's Mehdi army and "sharpen their weapons."



"What the prime minister stated in his press conference, all that he said that was so far from reality, the nonsense and false accusations he used to cover up his huge failure leading the nation's affairs," al-Iqabi said. "... We call on all politicians, journalists, intellectuals, civil society institutions, tribal leaders and clergy to visit Sadr City to witness the crimes committed by the occupier and government forces."



In Sadr City, nearly 1,000 civilians and fighters are thought to have been killed since late March in fighting between security forces and Shiite militants. However, al-Saghir said there has been "good security progress."  Watch as fighting destroys a school »



"I believe the coming days will witness many developments which will lead to the protection of this city from these gangs," he said.



He urged people who have grievances to make their voices heard through the political process. He decried those who arm themselves under the pretext of sectarianism or occupation.



Al-Saghir emphasized what he called corruption in Sadr City and the role of Sadrist followers in promoting it.



He noted that imams from the Supreme Council were booted from several mosques and replaced by politically correct imams, and he said companies have
What did the Shiite cleric speak out against? What did Shiite cleric speak against? Where does the cleric live?
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question: What did the Shiite cleric speak out against?, answer: abolition of militias | question: What did Shiite cleric speak against?, answer: abolition of militias Friday and decried violence and pervasive corruption in Baghdad's Sadr City. | question: Where does the cleric live?, answer: Sadr City.