Auteur: Mohammed AL KARAISHI
Executive summary: During the historic formation of the Iraqi state under British mandate, the Sunni elites imposed their domination over the institutions, creating a lasting fracture with the marginalised Shiite majority, an imbalance that the 2003 American invasion deeply upset by reversing the power relations. Shia political thought has historically oscillated between opposition to the state and pragmatic cooperation, as illustrated by the position of l’ayatollah al-Sistani after 2003 who chose to support the state while preserving its religious independence. On the other hand, Sunni political thinking, shaped by a long integration into state institutions and an inclusive and naturally directed view of the community, was found to be in deep crisis after 2003, moving brutally from a dominant position to marginalization without having developed an autonomous political project. Despite a historical anchor and some notable individual participations, religious minorities (Christians, Yezidis, Sabean-Mandian) remained confined to the margins of power, suffering increasing vulnerability after 2003 when the issue of their protection became a security problem, overshadowing the broader issue of their rights and the issue of citizenship. The analysis of the institution of the fatwa Shiite demonstrates its role as a major political and social instrument, capable of producing considerable effects as historically illustrated by the fatwa on tobacco of 1891 which made a British colonial concession fail in Iran, the fatwas of struggle against the British in Iraq in 1914 that mobilized society, the fatwa banning the Communist Party in the 1960s that redesigned internal political balances, or the 2014 one against Daesh that saved the state from collapse while creating new competing armed actors. Thus, the analysis of state-religion relations in Iraq reveals the complexity of a relationship anchored at the heart of the state-building process since 1921, in a context marked by the colonial legacy and the absence of an inclusive national consensus. While religion in Iraq cannot be reduced to an identity factor, it is a symbolic political resource mobilized in the face of the state’s lack of legitimacy, whose inability to transform religious diversity into the foundation of inclusive citizenship has facilitated the politicization of religious, social fragmentation and the reproduction of violence.
Keywords: Iraq, State, British Empire, Sunnis, Shiites, Minorities, Religious Diversity, Politics, Symbol, Fatwa, Citizenship, 2003 American Invasion, Daesh.
Abstract: During the historical formation of the Iraqi state under British mandate, Sunni elites imposed their dominance over institutions, creating a lasting rift with the marginalized Shiite majority-an imbalance that the 2003 American invasion profoundly disrupted by reversing the balance of power. Shiite political thought has historically oscillated between opposition to the state and pragmatic cooperation, as illustrated by Ayatollah al-Sistani’s position after 2003, when he chose to support the state while preserving his religious independence. Conversely, Sunni political thought, shaped by a long period of integration into state institutions and an encompassing conception of the community, as naturally destined to lead, found itself in profound crisis after 2003, abruptly shifting from a dominant position to marginalization without having developed an independent political project. Despite a historical presence and some notable individual contributions, religious minorities (Christians, Yazidis, Sabaean-Mandaeans) have remained confined to the margins of power, experiencing increasing vulnerability after 2003 when the question of their protection became a security issue, overshadowing the broader question of their rights and citizenship. Analysis of the Shiite fatwa institution demonstrates its role as a major political and social instrument, capable of producing considerable effects, as historically illustrated by the 1891 fatwa on tobacco that thwarted a British colonial concession in Iran, the fatwas against the British in Iraq in 1914 that mobilized society, the fatwa banning the Communist Party in the 1960s that reshaped internal political balances, and the 2014 fatwa against ISIS that saved the state from collapse while creating new competing armed actors. Thus, the analysis of state-religion relations in Iraq reveals the complexity of a relationship rooted in the heart of the state-building process since 1921, within a context marked by the colonial legacy and the absence of an inclusive national consensus. While religion in Iraq cannot be reduced to a factor of identity, it constitutes a symbolic political resource mobilized in the face of the state’s legitimacy deficits, whose inability to transform religious diversity into the foundation of inclusive citizenship has fostered the politicization of religion, social fragmentation, and the perpetuation of violence.
Keywords: Iraq, State, British Empire, Sunnis, Shiites, Minorities, Religious diversity, Politics, Symbol, Fatwa, Citizenship, 2003 US invasion, Daesh.