Rifts Emerge in Iraq's Shiite Community

[Barrett808]

Rifts Emerge in Iraq's Shiite Community
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer

KUFA, Iraq - The political empowerment of Iraq's Shiite Muslims after decades on the sidelines is producing grave internal rifts, with rival factions and religious leaders competing for advantage before Iraqi sovereignty is restored on July 1.

With so much at stake, the line between politics and religion has blurred. Shows of force are common, and mudslinging is on the rise.

...

Cracks in the Shiite community are most visible in the holy city of Najaf and the nearby town of Kufa.

Many of the 5,000 followers who prayed behind al-Sadr on Friday were black-clad young men wearing badges that bore his image. They waved banners and repeatedly broke into chants to give the usually somber ritual the atmosphere of a political rally.

In Najaf, portraits of al-Sadr and his late father compete for space on walls, shop windows, power poles, taxis and buses with images of al-Hakim and his late brother and, to a much lesser extent, al-Sistani.

...

Al-Sadr's supporters also laid siege to al-Sistani's home at Najaf in April, demanding that he leave the country. Tribesmen loyal to the older cleric forced them to abandon the siege. Al-Sistani has not left his home since.

The siege followed the stabbing death in Najaf on April 10 of moderate cleric Abdel-Maguid al-Khoei. Yitzhak Nakash — a leading authority on Iraq's Shiites — said al-Khoei "exemplified the sober and moderate face of Iraqi Shiism" and his death signaled an "ominous turn" in the power struggle within the sect.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_shiite_factions

[mistertrickster]

1. Meet the new boss . . . same as the old boss.

The Bush Administration--making the world safe for fundamentalist dictatorships . . . we lead by EXAMPLE

[Aidoneus]

2. actually, they're now starting to come together

For all of their differences, Sayyid al-Sadr's people supported Sayyid al-Sistani's call for real democratic elections and not the fake rubbish that the occupation forces have in mind. And while Sistani withdrew his calls for massive demonstrations--he was probably just clearing his throat and will see how things turn out before making another such move--, Jaish al-Mahdi & al-Fadula (a militant movement founded by Sheikh Mohammed al-Yaqubi, a student of Sadr's martyred father and another partisan of Kazim al-Haeri, Sadr's designated successor and exiled rival of Sistani) are still marching in favour of what was called, though they of course have their own reasons. The occupation forces speak of democracy, but just wish to force their own dictatorship over the people of Iraq with their puppets running the show instead.

The only real divisions now are between the ruling elites who cravenly serve the occupation and those who are planning out the liberation of Iraq from direct and indirect foreign occupation. Sistani himself, notoriously passive and not a political man (the struggles would interfere with his studies), referred to the 1920 Revolution sparked off by Imam Shirazi (his predecessor).

The author makes the common mistake of referring to people like al-Khoei as "moderate":--the word they mean is "collaborationist".

[leftchick]

3. once again Aidoneus.....

Thank you for your analysis of the situation in Iraq. I notice in most of these reports out of Iraq regarding the demand for elections, the failure to mention the Shiite demand that the US occupation forces leave Iraq. I guess they will address that one at a later date.... :eyes:

[bemildred]

4. Divide and rule. nt