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The Leftist-Sadrist Alliance Social Movements and Strategic Politics in Iraq Benedict Robin-D’Cruz – PhD Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies University of Edinburgh – 2019 Signed Declaration I declare that this thesis has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where states otherwise by reference or acknowledgment, the work presented is entirely my own. Signed: Date: 27 October 2019 ABSTRACT This thesis explores the formation of the leftist-Sadrist alliance that won Iraq’s May 2018 national elections. It argues that this cross-ideological social movement coalition was neither a case of two groups always primed for cooperation because of their shared social bases and political perspectives; nor was it merely an instrumental coalition negotiated between a narrow range of political elites. Rather, the alliance points to transformations in both the social and ideological structures of the two movements, and in the social contexts in which their strategic politics has been formed. This thesis uses a practice-based approach inspired by the sociology of Pierre Bourdieu to unpack these transformations. It uncovers forms of social struggle on cultural terrain, popular politics, intra-movement cleavages and systemic social crises and their effects in transforming the political strategies of these social movements. The outcome of this research is a new understanding of Iraq’s secular- leftist politics and the Sadr movement. These groups are shown to be both more ideologically heterogeneous, and their strategic politics more internally contested, than has hitherto been recognised. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all the Iraqis without whose cooperation and generosity this research would not have been possible, and especially Faris Kamal Nadhmi whose interest in my research opened many doors. I would also like to thank my supervisors, Dr Thomas Pierret and Dr Anthony Gorman, for their feedback on drafts and willingness to explore ideas in ways that have honed my writing skills and expanded my thinking. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Carmen, for her forbearance and support. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND STRATEGIC POLITICS IN IRAQ: KEY PROBLEMS AND APPROACHES ...................................................................................... 11 I Introduction ........................................................................................................................11 II The Iraq Lacuna: Social Movements and Islamist Politics..................................................12 III Social Movements and Strategic Politics: Dynamics of Contention ...................................25 IV A Practice-Oriented Approach to Social Movements and Strategic Politics in Iraq ...........32 V Conclusion ........................................................................................................................40 CHAPTER TWO LEFTIST-ISLAMIST SOCIAL MOVEMENT POLITICS IN PRE-INVASION IRAQ ................................................................................................................................... 41 I Introduction ........................................................................................................................41 II The Left and Shiʿi Islamism in Iraq: The State Formation Period .......................................44 III The Baʿthist State, the ICP and the Intellectual and Religious Fields ................................54 IV The Sadr II Movement: Prophets, Priests and Messianism ..............................................65 V Conclusion ........................................................................................................................75 CHAPTER THREE IRAQ’S SADR MOVEMENT: FROM MESSIANIC MILITANCY TO ‘CULTURAL RESISTANCE’ (2003-2014) ............................................................................ 77 I Introduction ........................................................................................................................77 II The Sadrists: A Social Movement Emerges .......................................................................80 III Strategies of the Sadr Movement (2003-2009): Between Messianic Militancy and Politics .............................................................................................................................................99 IV The Sadrists’ ‘Cultural Turn’ from 2009 and Early Secular-Sadrist Interactions .............. 115 V Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 124 CHAPTER FOUR THE RISE OF MADANI POLITICS: THE ICP AND THE CIVIL TREND (2003-2014) ....................................................................................................................... 127 I Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 127 II The ICP as a Social Movement in Post-Invasion Iraq (2003-2009) .................................. 128 III The Rise of Madani Politics: The Civil Trend (2009-2014) .............................................. 142 IV Transgressing the Secular Intelligentsia: Faris Kamal Nadhmi and the Call for a Leftist- Sadrist Alliance................................................................................................................... 160 V Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 167 CHAPTER FIVE THE REFORM PROTEST MOVEMENT & THE CIVIL TREND-SADRIST CONVERGENCE (2015-2018) .......................................................................................... 169 I Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 169 II Social Crises and the Strategic Political Landscape ........................................................ 171 III Transverse Cleavages: Dynamics of Intra-Movement Struggle....................................... 179 IV The 2015 Protest Movement and the Civil Trend-Sadrist Convergence ......................... 197 V Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 212 CHAPTER SIX THE LEFTIST-SADRIST ALLIANCE FROM SOCIAL MOVEMENT COALITION TO ELECTORAL VICTORY (2015-2018) ...................................................... 215 I Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 215 II Jassim al-Helfi and the ICP: The Man Behind the Leftist-Sadrist Alliance ........................ 217 III The ICP, Taqaddum, Istiqama and Sairoun .................................................................... 224 IV A Stunning Victory?........................................................................................................ 238 V Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 246 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 249 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................ 263 APPENDIXES .................................................................................................................... 273 Appendix I Key Sadr movement actors 2003-2009 ............................................................ 274 Appendix II Sairoun Political Manifesto .............................................................................. 283 LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES Cover illustration by Iraqi caricature artist Ahmad Faleh, 2016. Permission to use as cover illustration granted by the artist on 14 April 2020. Table 1 Comparing frameworks: Popular politics and the Arab Spring versus Iraq .. 18 Figure 1 Sadr movement institutional structure (2003-2014) .................................... 82 Figure 2 Sadr movement financial resources (2003-2009) ....................................... 91 Figure 3 Iraqis reading ICP newspaper Tariq al-Sha’b which was the first paper distributed in Baghdad after 9 April 2003.. ...............................................................132 Figure 4 ICP organisational structure as it developed post-2003 ............................134 Figure 5 ICP financial resources as they developed