Religious Authority

The Orphan’s Guardian: Muqtada al-Sadr and the Iranian Wali-Alliance Coordination

Iraqi Elections, Religious Authority / By

In the heart of Cairo stands the al-Dhakhira Mosque, a structure built in 516 AH by Dhakhira al-Malik Ja’far, a police officer notorious for his cruelty and oppression. He would forcibly drag people off the streets, bind them, and make them work on the mosque’s construction without pay. The only workers in the mosque were …

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The Issue of Misogyny in the Arab World

Leave a Comment / Religious Authority, Women / By

It is unfortunate and yet well-known to all those women in the Arab world face additional problems, besides the common global women’s issues. More recently, and particularly in areas of civil unrest such as Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and other regions, women have been suffering more than before, within an environment marked by ongoing civil …

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The Season of Planting Corruption Buds in Iraq

Leave a Comment / Iraqi Elections, Religious Authority / By

Iraq’s streets are currently alive with the bustle of religious processions marking Arbaeen, complete with tents, tea and coffee stalls, and political slogans and images of party candidates. Yet amidst these religious observances, the everyday Iraqi citizen struggles, burdened by the disruptions these events cause. Streets in Baghdad, already notorious for traffic congestion, are further …

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Back to Square One: The Case of Women Rights in Contemporary Iraq

Leave a Comment / Kurdistan, Religious Authority, The Iraqi Government, Women / By

As a result of the US-led liberation of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi society was forced to confront its past and inconsistencies, and a competition began between Iraq’s political and social components over who would play a key role in this new state and who would manage its resources Shi’a and Kurds fought for control of …

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The Ashura Rituals Between Truth and Myth

Religious Authority / By

“People of various faiths have followed their leaders blindly, rejecting independent thought and investigation into the origins of their beliefs. This mindset was enforced, prohibiting any questioning, while perpetuating narratives that discouraged independent inquiry and condemned those who disagreed.” – Abu Bakr al-Razi. There are two types of ignorance: religious and scientific. Religious ignorance manifests …

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Religious Reference and Politician

Leave a Comment / Iraqi Elections, Religious Authority / By

Iraq’s political authority is influenced by more than one leadership entity, one of which is the religious reference, represented by the reference of Ali Al-Sistani and all its religious institutions. The political leadership, as represented by the corrupt ruling parties, is divided between loyalty to Sistani and loyalty to Wilayat Al-Faqih. This loyalty ensures sectarian …

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Corruption and the Religious Figures in Iraq

Religious Authority / By

The past two decades has shown a transformation in the socio-political characteristics, reflected by the governmental change in Iraq. Before the 2003 war, the previously Sunni group, and in particular, the dictator’s family were dominating the political landscape. Yet, post to the dramatic change in 2003, Iraqis witnessed the rise of the religious authorities engaging …

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Religion is the Opium of People

7 Comments / Religious Authority / By

Written by Shermeen Yousif Averroes had said once that using religion is the profitable trade in societies where ignorance is widespread. Unfortunately, the Iraqi government is aware that if they want to control the society to guarantee their continuous ruling and prohibit revolutionary thinking, they need to wrap every falsehood with a religious envelope and …

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