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Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani's Role in Iraq

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Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani's Role in Iraq GRAND AYATOLLAH AL SISTANI’S ROLE IN IRAQ AFTER 2003: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL TEXTS AND THE PERCEPTIONS OF IRAQI DIASPORA A Thesis submitted by Atef Jabar Kadom BEd UOB, MSTA, MEd USQ For the award of Doctor of Philosophy 2018 Abstract This thesis examines the role of the Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Hussaini Al Sistani in politics in Iraq, from the time of the invasion/occupation of Iraq by the United States in 2003 until the present day. The purpose of this study is to investigate the complex issues surrounding the political interventions of Al Sistani and to explore a range of perspectives held by Iraqi people about his role as a cleric with political influence. The study contributes significantly to the shedding of new light on the impact of clerics on Iraqi society and an initial hypothesis for the study was to discover whether Al Sistani might be the first of a new mould of Islamic clerics who believe in pursuing peaceful and democratic solutions to political problems. An interpretivist, epistemological approach has been adopted as the theoretical basis for achievement of the qualitative aims of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with volunteer Iraqi diaspora participants in order to discover their views regarding Al Sistani’s interventions. It was initially considered that interviewing Al Sistani himself would provide the most direct qualitative data. However, as access to Al Sistani proved logistically impossible, it was decided that textual analysis of authentic documents representing him would be fruitful. Thematic analysis of interview and textual data was used in the development of new understanding and meanings. The analysis involved immersion in the data - a process undertaken by reading and re-reading transcripts and texts in order to become more and more familiar with them. The findings of the study reveal detail about three significant political interventions that Al Sistani had taken. The first is in countering the plan by the United States to choose a US controlled committee to write a new constitution. Al Sistani intervened by insisting that the US organise the election and the Iraqis then elected to office would be responsible for the constitution. Respecting Al Sistani’s influence, the US complied. Secondly, detail is explored in Al Sistani’s part in forming the Iraqi government in 2014. His contribution was in breaking an eight-month deadlock where politicians could not agree on the formation of the government. The third intervention occurred just a month later when Al Sistani issued a Fatwa to encourage Iraqis to take up arms against Islamic State (ISIS) in both Iraq and Syria. 2 Significantly, the study also illuminates detail about essential differences between the views of Shia and Sunni Iraqis. However, while differences occur the results indicate a general respect and approval of Al Sistani’s political interventions, influence and decisions. There is a broad, positive sentiment that Al Sistani’s promotion of democracy holds special hope for the nation’s problems and to how Iraq is viewed by the rest of the world. 3 Certification of Thesis This Thesis is entirely the work of Atef Jabar Kadom except where otherwise acknowledged. The work is original and has not previously been submitted for any other award, except where acknowledged. Dr David Cleaver Principal Supervisor Student and supervisors signatures of endorsement are held at the University. 4 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge many for the support they have given me throughout the time I have worked on my thesis. I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. David Cleaver and also Professor Patrick Danaher, the Associate Dean (Research and Research Training), the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts for their invaluable support and assistance. I would also like to thank and acknowledge the invaluable support given by Mr Greg Hill for proof- reading and providing assistance with matters of thesis structure. I am grateful to my wife Manal Hussin, my son Ibrahim, and my two daughters, Dania and Fatma, who have provided me with moral and emotional support throughout these recent years while I have been undertaking this project. I am also grateful to my other family members and friends who have supported me along the way. My thanks also go to Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Hussaini Al Sistani’s office in London, and other participants in Australia for their kindness and cooperation, as well as to all the friends who put me in contact with their friends who enabled me to reach my interviewees. Without their contribution, I could not have undertaken this research. Most importantly I would like to dedicate this thesis to my father who passed away in 1996, and to my mother. 5 Table of Contents Abstract......................................................................................................................... 2 Certification of Thesis .................................................................................................. 4 Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 5 Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... 6 List of Figures............................................................................................................. 12 List of Tables .............................................................................................................. 13 List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................. 14 Keywords and their definitions .................................................................................. 15 Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................... 18 1.1. Background .................................................................................................... 18 1.1.1 The Sunni and the Shia and Wilayat al-Faqih ........................................... 19 1.1.2 After the 2005 elections ............................................................................. 20 1.1.3 Biographical details on Al-Sayyid Ali al-Husseini Al Sistani ................... 21 1.1.4 My interest in this topic ............................................................................. 23 1.2. Problem statement .......................................................................................... 26 1.3. The purpose of this research........................................................................... 28 1.4. Research aims and questions .......................................................................... 29 1.5. Methodology .................................................................................................. 30 1.6. Thesis outline ................................................................................................. 30 Chapter Two: Literature Review ................................ 32 2.1 Introduction: The purpose of this review ....................................................... 32 2.2 Background .................................................................................................... 32 2.2.1 A brief history of modern Iraqi .................................................................. 32 2.2.2 The 1920 revolution ................................................................................... 33 6 2.2.3 The second British occupation (1941) ....................................................... 35 2.2.4 The 1958 military coup and a new era of co-operation. ............................ 36 2.2.5 1968: the beginning of a dark era .............................................................. 38 2.2.6 1979: Saddam Hussein’s regime ................................................................ 39 2.2.7 2003 and the emergence of Al Sistani ....................................................... 40 2.3 Sistani and The 2005 elections ....................................................................... 43 2.3.1 A history of Iraqi elections ........................................................................ 44 2.4 Al Sistani and politics .................................................................................... 48 2.5 Al Sistani’s influence in Iraq after 2003 ........................................................ 49 2.6 Al Sistani and democracy ............................................................................... 51 2.7 An evaluation of Al Sistani’s Fatwas ............................................................. 53 2.8 Al Sistani’s recommendations ........................................................................ 56 2.9 Al Sistani’s message to the politicians ........................................................... 60 2.10 Chapter summary ........................................................................................... 61 Chapter 3: Conceptual Framework ............................ 63 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 63 3.2 Qualitative research ........................................................................................ 63 3.3 Data collection................................................................................................ 65 3.3.1. Data collection methodology: the interview .............................................. 65 3.3.2. Data collection in this research .................................................................
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