Today in Iraq, the turbaned cleric occupies multiple seats of power. He is simultaneously the head of a political movement, the leader of a parliamentary bloc, the architect of electoral lists, the overseer of cabinet formation, the commander of the armed forces, the planner of economic policy, the designer of school curricula, and a key voice in matters of security, culture, and commerce. When such a man errs, steals public funds, or abuses power, the judiciary cannot hold him accountable—because he is deemed “sacred.” Even criticizing him can lead to death.
Most clerics in Iraq—regardless of color, rank, sect, or faction—have become among the fiercest enemies of the Iraqi people. They have fragmented society, sowed sectarian strife through the age-old tactic of divide and rule, and turned religion into a commodity sold to the ignorant, deceived, and marginalized. The turbaned cleric has become the ruler, legislator, and merchant, trading in the destiny of the Iraqi people.
Both Shia and Sunni sectarian clerics now wield pulpits, media platforms, followers, and armed militias that obey their commands. From these platforms, they disseminate poison—hatred, vengeance, and calls for bloodshed—while disregarding the lives of the innocent. Today, religious authorities in Iraq and Iran no longer hesitate to sanction bloodshed, the looting of wealth, and violations of honor. The blood of Iraqis is cheap in their eyes, and anyone who disagrees with them is treated as an enemy.
These clerics betray the God they claim to serve and the religion they pretend to uphold. They are not men of faith, but businessmen—merchants of religion. Their trade thrives on ignorance, which they deliberately maintain. Every sermon, decree, and policy they issue is designed to enhance their own power and wealth. Many are among the most hostile toward their own people, using their influence to subjugate the population.
They have no interest in education or literacy, preferring instead to cultivate ignorance and backwardness—fertile ground for their regressive power. Like parasites, they feed on the uneducated, poor, and disenfranchised. As their bank accounts swell with wealth, the people sink deeper into poverty, hunger, and ignorance.
The first step to breaking free from Iraq’s corruption and tyranny is dismantling the clerical elite’s power and liberating the nation from the turban’s grip. Only then can Iraqis live in freedom and dignity. Otherwise, the population will remain enslaved, exploited, and manipulated by the reactionary clerics of Iraq and Iran.
Rejecting the preachers of ignorance and removing their influence from minds, homes, and society has become an urgent necessity. If Iraqis fail to act, they will continue to live as submissive, ignorant servants, strengthening the very forces that oppress them, until they themselves become the spoils, the slaves, and the instruments of clerical power.
As one thinker wisely said:
“If a believer and an unbeliever both plunge into the sea, only the one who has learned to swim will survive. God does not favor the ignorant; the ignorant believer will drown, while the educated unbeliever will be saved.”