Clerics
Begin To Take Over
By Ali al-Fadhily
11 September, 2007
Inter Press Service
BAGHDAD, Sep 10 (IPS) - Religious clerics are beginning
to play an increasingly powerful role in Iraq. Many Iraqis now fear
that they are endangering human rights and religious freedom in the
once largely secular country.
Clerics began to play a major
role since the U.S.-led occupation began in April 2003. Despite the
promises of U.S. President George W. Bush to turn Iraq into a secular
and free country, clerics have become the real leaders, and are beginning
to control most political matters.
"It is the Iraqis' misfortune
that the international coalition has brought clerics to power,"
Dr. Shakir Hamdan, an expert on Islamic issues told IPS in Baghdad.
"They will only lead the country into sectarian wars and take the
whole country into the dark ages where one man rules and freedom is
lost."
Hamdam cited a recent meeting
between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the powerful Shia Grand
Ayatollah, Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, where matters of state were discussed.
"One can clearly see
that already the powerful influence of clerics is apparent," Hamdan
said. "The parliament and government cannot take any step without
first consulting the clerics."
Iraq was largely secular
under the rule of Saddam Hussein, given Saddam's fear that religious
movements and their leaders may undermine his power.
The invasion and occupation
destroyed the Iraqi state and its institutions, leaving a power vacuum
which was filled by religious leaders who offered basic services the
state could no longer provide.
"Our country has turned
from a secular into a purely religious country," Munthir Sulayman,
social reform activist in Baghdad told IPS. "We were dreaming of
a huge development in social affairs to become more modern and free,
where individuals can play their natural role in developing the country
through participation in politics, economy and all aspects of life.
What has happened is the opposite, and the country has become completely
under control of clerics."
Several academics and community
leaders say they have lost their role in trying to improve the political
and social structure.
The major Sunni group of
clerics, The Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS), denies that imams
are trying to upstage the government. "The country needs to be
led by those who have experience and knowledge of the ways of reform
and construction," Dr. Abdul-Salam al-Kubayssi, assistant secretary
general of the AMS told IPS in Baghdad.
"Our role is to support
any national government that leads the country to safety and prosperity
without playing any role of supervision or interference in its functioning.
Ruling Iraq is too complicated to be led by a group of imams."
But the U.S. occupation forces
and their leadership have depended on clerics since the early days of
occupation. The Iraqi Governing Council included clerics like Ayatollah
Bahrul-Uloom and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, together with leaders of other
Islamic parties like al-Dawa and the Iraqi Islamic Party.
The elections in January
2005 were almost completely controlled by religious groups and their
political parties.
Shia parties, especially
The Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, led by Hakim, cited Sistani asking
"believers" to vote for the political list that included the
Shia coalition. That list continues to play a powerful role in government
today.
U.S. forces and their appointed
election supervisors did little to stop such sectarianism.
"It was the American
theory to cooperate with clerics in order to control the situation in
Iraq right from the beginning of occupation," Fadhil Yasseen, a
lawyer in Baghdad, told IPS. "That was obvious from the gestures
that (former Coalition Provisional Authority head) Paul Bremer made
to Sistani, and the full support he gave to the Shia coalition to take
full control of Iraq."
Yasseen added: "Now
Iraqis and Americans are paying the cost with their blood and fortunes."
Shia imams are now themselves
divided. This is evident in their failure to agree on a coherent policy
to take Iraq forward. Rival Shia groups are fighting each other to grab
power in the Shia dominated areas of Baghdad and southern Iraq.
Leave
A Comment
&
Share Your Insights
Comment
Policy
Digg
it! And spread the word!
Here is a unique chance to help this article to be read by thousands
of people more. You just Digg it, and it will appear in the home page
of Digg.com and thousands more will read it. Digg is nothing but an
vote, the article with most votes will go to the top of the page. So,
as you read just give a digg and help thousands more to read this article.