BAGHDAD, June 29 (UPI) — Appeals from political leaders and the Iraqi government have convinced rebel Shiite Cleric Moqtada Sadr to postpone a planned march to Samarra.

A source close to the cleric told the KUNA, Friday that the event scheduled for next week was put on the back burner partly because of the government’s inability to guarantee security.

The peaceful march was planned to protest the destruction of the Al-askarein shrine that was bombed in February of 2006 and a second time on June 13.

Sadr has blamed the Iraqi government for not securing the shrine and then failing to rebuild it.

Iraqi political leaders feared the march might lead to more violence.