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Islam and Authority in the Middle East

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MENA Religious Authority Questionnaire Baker Institute for Public Policy 2017-2019 Please note, this is an academic study and in this survey you may be asked to express your opinion about several hypothetical policies and statements endorsed by social and religious actors of interest. These questions accommodate answer options should you prefer not to answer them. As a reminder, please be assured that all information given by you will be kept strictly confidential and not revealed to anyone without your prior permission. The responses collected will be added together with the responses of others and will only be reported at an aggregate level. Under no circumstance will this information be used for any purpose other than this academic research. [pdl.countryofresidence] Which country do you currently live in? [SINGLE CODE] Egypt Morocco Turkey Jordan Iran Tunisia CONTINUE UAE KSA Qatar Kuwait Bahrain Lebanon Other TERMINATE [pdl.religion] To which of the following religions do you consider you belong? [SINGLE CODE] Religion Code Instructions None – not religious 1 CONTINUE Islam 2 CONTINUE Christianity 3 Hinduism 4 Sikhism 5 Judaism 6 TERMINATE Buddhism 7 Jainism 8 Zoroastrianism 9 Other religion 10 Demographics: [pdl.age] [pdl.gender] 1 [pdl.nationality] [pdl.income] [pdl.marital status] [pdl.employment status] [pdl.income] [pdl.city] [pdl.education] ASK Q1 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 1) How would you describe yourself? [SINGLE CODE] a. Sunni b. Shiite c. Alawi d. Alevi e. Salafi f. Bahai g. Druze h. Ahmadi i. Other: please specify ASK Q2 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 2) How often do you pray/perform Salah? [SINGLE CODE] Daily prayers A few times Once a week A few times a Never every day a week Jummah year, prayer especially Eid prayers ASK Q3 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 3) In a typical week, how many times do you attend the mosque for Salah and Jummah prayer? [SINGLE CODE] More than Once a week 2- 3 times a Once or A few times a Never once a week for Jummah month twice a year, prayer month especially for the Eid ASK Q4 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 4) How often do you read or listen to the Qur’an. [SINGLE CODE] 1 – Every 4 to 6 2 to 3 Once a Once or A few Never day times a times a week twice a times a week week month year 2 ASK Q5 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 5) How often do you attend religious study circles (halaqas)? [SINGLE CODE] Every day 4 to 6 2 to 3 Once a Once or A few Never times a times a week twice a times a week week month year IF CODED B, C OR D IN Q1 SHOW THE SHIITE LIST AND COUNTRY SPECIFIC LIST IN Q6. IF CODED A, E, F, G, H OR I IN Q1 SHOW THE SUNNI LIST AND COUNTRY SPECIFIC LIST IN Q6. IF CODED 1 IN RELIGION, SHOW THE SHIITE LIST IF COUNTRY = BAHRAIN OR IRAN AND COUNTRY SPECIFIC LIST IN Q6. IF COUNTRY = EGYPT, MOROCCO, TURKEY, JORDAN, TUNISIA, UAE, KSA, QATAR KUWAIT OR LEBANON SHOW THE SUNNI LIST AND COUNTRY SPECIFIC LIST IN Q6. 6) Which of the religious leaders below do you approve of? Please select all that apply. [MULTIPLE CODE] Shiite List 1) Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, Supreme Leader of Iran 2) Hasan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Lebanese Hezbollah 3) Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush, Iranian Islamic scholar 4) Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraqi Shiite cleric 5) Rachid Ghannouchi, Founder of Tunisian Annahda Party 6) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president and leader of AKP Sunni List 1) Rachid Ghannouchi, Founder of Tunisian Annahda Party 2) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president and leader of the AKP 3) Amr Khaled, Egyptian TV preacher 4) Ahmed El Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Egypt 5) Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of Lebanese Hezbollah 6) Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State 7) Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamic scholar IF COUNTRY = JORDAN 1) Mohammad Khalaileh, Grand Mufti of Jordan 2) Mohammad Zyoud, Secretary General of Islamic Action Front 3) Sheikh Ali Hasan al-Halabi, Salafist head of the Imam al-Albani Center 4) Mohamed Al-Shalabi (also known as Abu Sayyaf), jihadist Salafi sheikh 5) Dr. Jameel Ahmed Al-Dahesat, President of ICCS (Islamic Center Charity Society) 6) Sheikh Husni Al-Shareef, head of the Sufi Dar al-Iman Waqf 7) None of these 3 IF COUNTRY = TUNISIA 1) Khatib al-Idrissi, Salafi sheikh 2) Abu Iyadh al-Tunisi, leader of Ansar al-Sharia 3) Hussein Al-Obeidi, Grand Imam of Zaytouna Mosque 4) Othman Battikh, Grand Mufti of Tunisia 5) Mazen Cherif, Sufi sheikh 6) Habib Ellouze, Annahda sheikh 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = TURKEY 1) Fethullah Gulen, Sunni cleric 2) Mehmet Görmez, outgoing president of Diyanet 3) İzzettin Doğan, Alevi dede 4) Nihat Hatipoglu, professor of Islamic studies and TV preacher 5) Hayrettin Karaman Hoca, Islamic scholar 6) Sheikh Seyyid Abdulbaki Erol, head of Menzil Sufi Order 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = EGYPT 1) Mohamed Abdel Fattah Abu Idris, Ad-Da'wa As-Salafiya leader 2) Mohammed Badie, Supreme Guide of Ikhwan Al-Muslimin 3) Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt 4) Younes Makhioun, leader of Salafist Al-Nour Party 5) Sheikh Mohammad Hassan, Salafi preacher 6) Sheikh Tarek Yassin Al-Rifai, leader of the Rifayya Sufis 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = MOROCCO 1) King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-Muminin) 2) Mohammed Abbadi, Secretary General of Al Adl wal Ihsane 3) Sheikh Sheikh Sidi Jamal, son of Sidi Hamza and leader of Qadiriya Boutchichiya Sufi order 4) Sheikh Umar al-Hadouchi, Salafist preacher 5) Saadeddine Othmani, Prime Minister and leader of Party for Justice and Development 6) Sheikh Mohamed Ben Abderrahman Al Maghraoui, Salafist cleric 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = IRAN 1) Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, conservative cleric 2) Ayatollah Yusuf Saanei, reformist cleric 3) Ayatollah Hossein Vahid Khorasani, Shiite cleric 4) Dr. Hossein Elahi Ghomeshei, scholar of sufism 5) Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran 6) Dr. Ali Shariati, Iranian revolutionary thinker 4 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = UAE 1) Dr. Mohammed Matar Salem bin Abid Al Kaabi, chairman of General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) 2) Ahmad Al Haddad, Grand Mufti of Dubai 3) Dr. Mohammad Abdul Rahim Sultan Al Olama, Member of the Grand Islamic Scholars Body in Dubai 4) Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, Muslim Council Of Elders 5) Sultan bin Kayed al-Qasimi, a leader of Islah Association for Reform and Social Counseling 6) Dr. Farouk Hamada, professor of Islamic sciences 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = KSA 1) Sheikh Salman al-Odah, Sahwa cleric 2) Sheikh Abdulaziz ibn Abdullah al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia 3) Saleh bin Abdulaziz Al Ash-Shaikh, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance 4) Sheikh Hassan All-Saffar, a moderate Shiite cleric 5) Saad bin Nasser al-Shethri, advisor to the Saudi Royal Court 6) Mohammed Al-Arefe, Salafi cleric 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = QATAR 1) Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Islamic scholar 2) Sheikh Abdallah bin Zayd al-Mahmud, Wahhabi scholar 3) Tariq Ramadan, professor of Islamic Studies and director of Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics 4) Ghaith bin Mubarak Al Kuwari, the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs 5) Sheiykh Sa'ad bin Ateeq al-Ateeq, a Saudi cleric 6) Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser, wife of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = LEBANON 1) Sayyid Ali Fadlallah (son of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah), Shiite cleric 2) Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of Lebanon and head of Dar Al-Fatwa 3) Sheikh Abdul Qader al-Fakhani, spokesperson for the Sufi Al-Ahbash movement 4) Sheikh Na'im Hassan, Highest Sheikh Al-Aql of the Druze 5) Sheikh Ahmad Al-Asir Al-Hussaini, Salafi cleric 6) Sheikh Abd Al-Amir Qabalan, Head of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = KUWAIT 1) Sheikh Mishary bin Rashid bin Gharib bin Muhammad Alafasy, Imam of the Grand Mosque of Kuwait 2) Sheikh Tareq Mohammed Al-Suwaidan, Sunni preacher 3) Hamid al-Ali, Salafi cleric 5 4) Nasir al Sani, the Islamic Constitutional Movement, leader of Al-Haraka Al-Dosturiya Al-Islamiyah (Hadas) 5) Abdulrahman al-Mutawa, leader of Al-Tajammu’ al-Islami al-Salafi (Salafi Islamic Association) 6) Adnan Zahid Abdulsamad, leader of Shiite National Islamic Alliance 7) None of these IF COUNTRY = BAHRAIN 1) Ayatollah Isa Qassim, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society’s spiritual leader 2) Sheikh Abduljalil al-Maqdad, Shiite cleric 3) Abdulwahab Hussain, leader of Al Wafa Islamic Movement 4) Ali Ahmed Abdulla, leader of Sunni Al-Menbar Islamic Society 5) Ghanim Al Buaneen, leader of Salafist Al Asalah Islamic Society 6) Shaikh Khalid bin Ali bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, chairman of The High Council for Islamic Affairs 7) None of these 7) Please tell us which of the following are among the five pillars of Islam? Please select all that apply. [MULTIPLE CODE] Daily Salah Hajj Hijab Shariah Kalima Shahada Don’t know / Not sure 8) Please tell us which of the following are among the six pillars of faith/iman? Please select all that apply. [MULTIPLE CODE] Belief in Allah Belief in Prophets Belief in Jinn Belief in Afterlife Belief in Shariah Belief in the Hidden Imam Don’t know / Not sure ASK Q9 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 9) How important is religion in your life? [SINGLE CODE] 1 – Not at all 2 – Not too 3 – Neutral 4 – Somewhat 5 - Very important important important Important 6 10) How comfortable would you be if: [GRID-SINGLE CODE] 1- Not at all 2 – Not too 3 - 4 – Somewhat 5 - Very Don’t comfortable comfortable Neutral comfortable Comfortable know / Can’t say A son of yours someday married a non- Muslim? A daughter of yours someday married a non- Muslim? ASK Q11 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 11) To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? [GRID-SINGLE CODE] 1 – Strongly 2 - 3 – 4 –Agree 5 – Strongly disagree Disagr Neither Agree ee agree or disagree “My religion is the one, true faith leading to eternal life.” “There is only ONE true way to interpret the teachings of my religion.” ASK Q12 ONLY IF CODED 2 IN RELIGION 12) Which of the below statements is closer to your own view? [SINGLE CODE] • Shariah is open to multiple interpretations • There is only one, true understanding of Shariah • Neither of the above IF CODED B, C OR D IN Q1 SHOW THE SHIITE LIST AND COUNTRY SPECIFIC LIST IN Q6.
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  • The Sunni and Shiite Axes in the Middle East

    The Sunni and Shiite Axes in the Middle East

    The Sunni and Shiite Axes in the Middle East Sima Shine 2QHRIWKHGH¿QLQJFKDUDFWHULVWLFVRIWKH0LGGOH(DVWRIUHFHQW\HDUVKDV been the worsening crisis between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the efforts on both sides to consolidate regional coalitions in order to increase their regional LQÀXHQFH2YHUWKHODVWGHFDGHWKHUHJLRQZLWQHVVHGDVHULHVRIGUDPDWLF developments, caused by both endogenous and exogenous factors, while in the background the Saudi-led Sunni axis and the Iran-led Shiite axis took shape. On the one hand, the region saw the collapse of some Arab states as a result of their populations’ pent-up disappointment with the oppressive regimes that were unable to meet civilian needs. This development, along with the failure of secular pan-Arabism, paved the way for the rise of political Islam and the return of religion – in itself fertile ground for factionalism and sectarianism – to the region’s political arena. The strengthening of the Sunni sector, which lacked a universally recognized spiritual-religious center, HQDEOHGWKHGHYHORSPHQWRIDUDQJHRI6XQQLJURXSVZKRDUHQRZ¿JKWLQJ each other while exploiting the disintegration of some state frameworks, and QXUWXULQJWKH6XQQL6KLLWHFRQÀLFW2QWKHRWKHUKDQGWKH$PHULFDQLQYDVLRQ RI,UDTWKHUHPRYDORI6DGGDP+XVVHLQ¶V6XQQLUHJLPHDQGWKHULVHRIWKH 6KLLWHPDMRULW\OHGWRWKH¿UVWHYHU6KLLWHUHJLPHLQDQ$UDEFRXQWU\DQG paved the way for Iran’s massive entry to the arena. This is how the “Shiite FUHVFHQW´FRPSULVLQJ,UDQ,UDT6\ULDDQG/HEDQRQZDVIRUPHG7KHZDU in Yemen, in which Iran is aiding the Shiite-allied Houthis, strengthened WKHLPDJHRIWKHVSUHDGRI,UDQLDQLQÀXHQFHIURPWKH*XOIDQGWKH6WUDLWRI Hormuz to the Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. 141 Sima Shine At the heart of the rising tension and rivalry is the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which has known many ups and downs in the almost four decades since the Islamic Revolution in Iran and Ayatollah Khomeini’s blunt statement that the House of Saud must be overthrown.