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Iraq's Najaf: An Iranian shrine or a
Middle Eastern Vatican
16.1.2011
By Hiwa Osman - ekurd.net |
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January 16, 2011
Walking through the streets of Najaf, the city
appears to be just another place in Iraq that
requires extensive development and services. But the
truth is that this holy city is capable of tipping
the political balance in Iraq.
Not many people in the Sunni world appreciate the
importance of Najaf. Since 2003 it has been an
influential centre of politics in the new Iraq. In
many ways, it has served as the country’s premier
political resort, with leaders from nearly every
Iraqi community visiting the Ayatollahs to win their
blessing.
Post-2003, Iraqi political leaders turned it into a
powerful locale for politicking: Whenever there was
a problem, officials, especially Shia, ran to Najaf
to convince the Grand Ayatollahs to be on their side
or at least create the impression that the
Marjiiyyah – a body that was usually careful not to
publicly back one party or leader — was one their
side.
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Hiwa Osman, IWPR Iraq’s country director, previously
served as Iraqi president Jalal Talabani’s media
adviser. |
As a result, in the eyes
of some observers inside Iraq and most outside of
the country, Najaf’s religious leadership was made
to be part of Iraq’s tumultuous conflicts on many
occasions. An important factor that contributed to
this was the silence of the Marjiiyyah on non-Iraqi
issues, including Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential
election and the situation in Lebanon.
The presence of the Grand Ayatollahs, the leaders of
the Shia faith, makes Najaf not just a holy center
for Iraq but for the entirety of the Shia world.
Many still remember the role the city played in
toppling the regime of the Shah of Iran by hosting
the leader of the Islamic revolution. Despite this,
there is no question that had it been embraced by
the Arab states, Najaf could have had a much more
influential role in Middle East politics.
Many call Najaf the “Vatican of the Shia” — and it
could become the Vatican of the Middle East rather
than a local center for Iraqi politics. The holy
city could have this influence if the Arab world
approached it differently.
While many Arab countries complain about Iran’s
influence in Iraq, they have not been effective in
countering it. Rather than considering the Shia of
Iraq as part of Iran; turning a blind eye on
Al-Qaeda’s attacks on Iraq’s Shia people and
shrines; and also allowing outrageous public insults
and attacks on the Shia faith and its symbols; the
Arab world could have approached Najaf as the centre
of gravity for the Shia faith — which is essentially
an Arabist faith.
As a consequence of the Sunni Arab neglect of Najaf
and the Shia of Iraq, Iran became the de-facto
leader of the Shia faith. This naturally turned
Najaf into a religious capital,www.ekurd.netor
even a shrine, and made Qum the political capital of
the Shia world. Many observers and some insiders
have confirmed that the last round of negotiations
to form the government was held secretly with
Muqtada al-Sadr in Qum.
Today, an opportunity presents itself to turn the
corner by giving Najaf a different role than the one
it had in the past.
But for this to happen, Iraq’s political leaders
should stop going to Najaf for arbitration or
support, and the Marjiiyyah should take a tougher
stance against those who want to drag it into their
petty politics. Rather than consider political
requests, they can simply close the door.
With the Arab summit approaching and the changed
attitude some Arab countries have showed towards
Iraq, they too have an opportunity bring the Shia of
Iraq into the Arab fold. But this will not happen
through statements or a fly-by visit of someone like
Arab League secretary-general Amr Mousa — who
visited Grand Ayatollah Sistani last week — alone.
The Sunni Arab world could declare it’s genuine
support for the new Iraq and offer their genuine
help to make things work.
For example, the weak infrastructure, the
dilapidated buildings and poor services put Najaf in
dire need of assistance. Providing this aid could be
one way to create a city with remarkable potential,
a proud and developed holy place representing the
best of both Iraq and Shia Islam. Whoever has the
foresight to takes the first step could do much more
than build a better metropolis, however – they would
be seizing the opportunity to win the hearts, power
and minds of one of the world’s most revered holy
cities.
Hiwa Osman is IWPR’s country director in Iraq, previously
served as Iraqi president Jalal Talabani’s media
adviser, a regular contributing writer for ekurd.net. You
may visit Osman's website at www.hiwaosman.com
Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net
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