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| Iraq | |
| Iraqi Shiites Reject Iranian Influence | |
| 2003-05-02 | |
| A faded door at number 206, Alley 57 opens into a cramped concrete courtyard. For years here, in a pale-green fountain, the father of Iran's Islamic revolution washed himself before he said his "It's a cold, clammy spirit. Then again, the heater's broke." But in Najaf these days, not everyone does. A generation after Khomeini left Najaf and led Iran's Islamic revolution, little of his legacy here remains. And as Shiite religious leaders begin to build their own power base in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, many are rejecting Iran's guidance. Shiites are gathering in this southern Iraqi city — freely, for the first time in years — to mark the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Amid the religious and political maneuverings is a sense that, although mostly Shiite Iran looms large, it and its model of rule by Muslim clerics will not guide Iraq's Shiites toward their future. ``Our relations with Iran will be like with any neighboring country,'' said Sheik Adel Najm al-Saedi. ``Of course the special bond of Shiites will connect us. But that is all.'' It had better be or there's trouble.
Liberators from the west, meddlers from the east. The U.S.-led invasion that overthrew Saddam did not severely damage Najaf, but it left the city in disarray. Almost one month after Najaf fell, people remain insecure. In this power vacuum, Shiite religious leaders are rapidly building up support, providing welfare assistance to communities and appointing followers to posts of responsibility. Most religious leaders express public distrust of the Americans. Others favor cooperation with U.S. and British forces, and take risks by doing so: One, Khoei, was slain April 10. However, Shiite leaders do not agree among themselves about what the future should look like. C'mon, they're Shiites! Of course they don't agree on anything! Religious and secular Shiites alike have challenged U.S.-proposed civilian administrations by organizing local committees, doling out funds to pay salaries, retrieving looted property and sending militias to secure government buildings. Ayatollah Ali Hussein al-Sistani, who enjoys the largest following here, said he does not want direct political power. Al-Sistani left Najaf about 20 days ago, and clerics in his office insist they don't know where he's gone. Didja check the bottoms of the wells? Look under the rocks? Go down to the wooded areas of the parks? But among the rank and file, talk is not of Iran but of Iraq. During the pilgrimage of the past few days, for example, pictures of Iraqi Shiite grand ayatollahs were omnipresent; images of Khomeini were few. Many of those praying in Najaf this week are too young to remember when Khomeini lived here, when his lectures drew huge crowds who watched, rapt, as he sat on a wooden chair and spoke of revolution. At Khomeini's former house, Sheik al-Saedi frets about Najaf's future. It is, he says, one of chaos and uncertainty. ``There are too many voices that have come in. America will not remain uninvolved. There are many conflicting opinions. Each has its own agenda,``he said. ``This is not the time for that kind of democracy.'' There's time for democracy. Don't blow it. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 todays WaPo has very interesting article about situation in Amara thats the city on the Tigris, between Basra and Kut. The guy who has taken over there is one Karim Mahoud, who had led anti-Saddam guerillas among the Marsh Arabs and, amazingly, had survived. He seems to working with US and UK forces, and is apparently bitterly resented by SCIRI. SCIRI says all will change when Hakim returns from exile, Mahoud says let him, Hakim has no local base. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-05-02 08:35:10 |
| #1 I admit to speculating, but it is probable that a strong majority of Iraqi Shiites support a modernist regime, as do a majority of Iranian Shiites. The problem is that the real Iranian elite - Rafsanjani's billionaire class - bind themselves to a Shariah constitution, notwithstanding the public will. The choice between Shariah and more Shariah is hardly a democratic choice. While it is possible, the Coalition must impose a secular constitution on Iraq. The last thing Iraqis need is a parasite class like the leaderships of Iran and Saudi Arabia. |
| Posted by: Anonon 2003-05-02 03:18:04 |