Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for peaceful demonstrations and three days of mourning. He stated that he believed no Sunni Arab could have been behind the attack. He ruled out the possibility that it was done by Muslims, declaring that it was "done at the hands of the occupation." He said "We declare a three-day mourning period . . . and shout Allahu Akbar from Sunni and Shiite mosques." Sadr criticized the Iraqi government for failing to protect the site, and said the U.S. occupation is "the only enemy of Iraq" and "that's why everyone must demand its departure". Sadr called the attack part of a "U.S. and Israeli plan to split Iraq's unity."