Cleric as Generals?

When a cleric is defined as:

1. a member of the clergy.

2. a member of a clerical party.

And clergy is defined as:

1. the group or body of ordained persons in a religion, as distinguished from the laity.

I have to ask how committed to peace and religious freedom any group is when its clerics openly control private militias?

Sadr organized the Mahdi Army shortly after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Since then the Mahdi Army has become the most active and feared armed Shiite group, blamed by the U.S. for driving thousands of Sunnis from their homes in retaliation for Sunni extremist attacks on Shiite civilians.

It is just a question I have to ask to myself. This subject has many responses, from defending a different culture or attacks other religions buy saying they are no different. It still doesn’t address the problem of killing in the name of God, something I have said and will continue to say is wrong.