The United States and Iraq's Shi'ite Clergy: Partners or Adversaries?
Abstract
Clerics are one of the most important forces guiding and directing Iraqi Shi'ite public opinion. Many of Iraq's secular leaders were sullied by their collaboration with the Sad dam Hussein regime or were tainted by their prolonged absence from Iraq, and thus do not have the potential power of the religious establishment to mobilize popular opinion. Moreover, many Shi'ite clerics are emerging as important spokesmen for their communities. Iraqi Shi'ites have been denied power proportionate with the size of their community since Iraq was established in 1920 and are determined not to be disenfranchised again. Their actions toward the United States are often calibrated with this goal in mind. All of Iraq's major Shi'ite clerics are critical of the U.S. military presence. Some are deeply critical and may choose to support anti-coalition violence should the U.S. forces remain in Iraq for an extended period of time. Those who do cooperate with the U.S. presence usually are careful to explain to their followers that they do so reluctantly and only in recognition of overwhelming U.S. power. The leading Shi'ite clerics in Iraq at this time are Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and his four colleagues who control the Najaf Hawza, a Shi'ite religious seminary and center of religious scholarship. The Hawza clerics have had a tradition of staying distant from politics, but this tradition now seems to be eroding. Sistani publicly treats the U.S. presence as illegitimate, but also engages in tacit cooperation with U.S. authorities. His continued cooperation with the United States will be vital for U.S. forces now in Iraq, but his patience is not assured.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA421051
Entities
People
- W. A. Terrill
Organizations
- United States Army War College