▁first ▁rank ▁among ▁more ▁than ▁ 9 0 ▁students , ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁university ▁for ▁three ▁years . ▁Cont inu ing ▁with ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁university ▁instruct or ▁for ▁another ▁three ▁years . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁for ▁political ▁activ ism ▁after ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁Sh ia ▁cler ic ▁Moh amm ad ▁Moh ammed ▁S adi q ▁Al - S adr , ▁the ▁cousin ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ia ▁think er ▁Moh ammed ▁Ba q ir ▁Al - S adr , ▁both ▁murder ed ▁by ▁S add am ' s ▁regime ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁respectively . ▁Upon ▁release ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁he ▁sought ▁as yl um ▁in ▁Jordan ▁where ▁he ▁also ▁taught ▁English ▁at ▁an ▁Al - Bal qa ▁App lied ▁University ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Ira q ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁S add am ▁Hus sein ' s ▁regime . ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁very ▁department ▁he ▁graduated ▁from , ▁then ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁Bas rah ▁Studies ▁Center ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁ ▁He ▁taught ▁English ▁language ▁and ▁literature ▁at ▁Ira qi ▁univers ities ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁fellow ship ▁in ▁International ▁Development ▁from ▁The ▁Department ▁of ▁International ▁Development ▁at ▁B irmingham ▁University . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁Minister ▁of ▁State ▁in ▁the