Senior Iraqi cleric and prominent political figure, Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr said there was a difference between the Syrian conflict and other revolutions in the Arab world.

Senior Iraqi cleric and prominent political figure, Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr said there was a difference between the Syrian conflict and other revolutions in the Arab world.

 There is “a big difference” between what is happening in Syria and the revolutions in “Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen,” Sadr said in a statement, AFP reported on Thursday.

"One of the reasons behind this difference is that [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad is against the American and Israeli presence and his attitudes are clear, not like those who collapsed before him, or will collapse," the statement read.

The Iraqi cleric warned against efforts to throw Syria into “an abyss of terrorism and fragmentation” by pushing Assad out of power.

Syria has been experiencing unrest ever since mid-March, with demonstrations being held both against and in support of Assad's government.

On Wednesday, an Arab League gathering gave Damascus a three-day ultimatum to end the months-long unrest. Syria boycotted the meeting, describing the order as illegitimate.