May 2015 – Iraq After Occupation

سماحة السيد القائد مقتدى الصدر(أعزه الله) يصدر بيانا مهما من عدة نقاط حول التفجيرات الارهابية ضد اتباع اهل البيت عليهم السلام في القطيف Muqtada al-Sadr responds to attack on Shi’a in al-Qatif in Saudi Arabia

May 24, 2015benrobinzMuqtada al-Sadr - السيد مقتدر الصدر22 May 2015, 22052015, al-Qatif, Muqtadr al-Sadr, Saudi Arabia

Dated: 22 May 2015 Original source (Arabic): http://jawabna.com/index.php?news=7760 Translation starts here: The Private Office of His Eminence al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr In the Name of God the Almighty What happened in “Qatif”, the bombing against those that follow the people of the house [the Shi’a] peace be upon them all, is not the first, nor do I

مكتب المرجع السيستاني يوضح ما ورد بخطبة الجمعة من ( ان الدفاع واجب كفائي – al-Sistani clarifies the “jihad fatwa”

May 23, 2015benrobinzAli al-Sistani - السيد علي السيستاني01 May 2015, al-hashd al-sha'bi, al-Sistani, collective duty, fatwa, fatwa Popular Mobilization al-hashd al-sha'bi, Iraq, Sistani

Dated: 14 June 2015 Original source (Arabic): http://www.sistani.org/arabic/in-news/24909/ Nun News Agency Translation starts here: The Office of the Marja’ al-Sistani clarifies what was reported in the Friday sermon (that defence is a wajib kafai [collective duty]) The Office of the Marja’ya representing Grand Ayatollah al-Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani has clarified 4 points with respect to what was

الشيخ عبد المهدي الكربلائي ، ممثل أية الله السيد علي السيستاني، يصادف ابو عزرائيل في مقام الامام الحسين – Video: encounter between Abu Azrael and al-Sistani’s representative

May 23, 2015benrobinzAli al-Sistani - السيد علي السيستاني22 May 2015, 22052015, Abu Azrael, al-Sistani, Sistani

Dated: 22 May 2015 Abu Azrael is a commander in the Iranian supported Kataib al-Imam Ali (battalion), itself part of al-hashd al-sha’bi (the Popular Mobilization).

ممثل المرجعية الشيخ عبد المهدي الكربلائي – الواجب الكفائي – al-Sistani collective jihad fatwa – al-Stistani’s representative Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai delivered fatwa at Friday prayers

May 21, 2015benrobinzAli al-Sistani - السيد علي السيستاني13 June 2014, 13062014, al-hashd al-sha'bi, al-Sistani, fawta, popular mobilization, Sistani

Dated: 13 June 2014 Original source (Video, Arabic): This is my attempt at translating the fatwa that initiated al-hashd al-sha’bi in June 2014. Delivered by Sistani’s representative Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai. Translation starts here: Oh brothers and sisters… The situation that Iraq and its citizens are going through is very dangerous, we must be aware of

المرجع السيستاني يرفض قرار مجلس النواب الامريكي ويطالب القوى السياسية بموقف واضح لرفض هذا الاسلوب بالتعامل مع الشعب العراقي – al-Sistani rejects moves in US HoR to arm Kurds and Sunni-tribal groups directly.

May 18, 2015benrobinzAli al-Sistani - السيد علي السيستاني01 May 2015, 01052015, al-Sistani, arming, House of Representatives, Partition

The purpose of this blog is begin to build up enough source material to make possible a comparative analysis of the discourse on political identity constructed by key figures in the Iraqi-Shi’a religious field. Consequently, finding fatwas, bayans or articles from different figures addressing the same political events and subjects is especially useful. Here we

The Twelver Shi’i Imams – From Najam Haider, Shi’i Islam: An Introduction

May 17, 2015benrobinzMaps, Charts, ResourcesImams, Reference, Twelver

Taken from Najam Haider: Shi’i Islam an Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2004 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shii-Islam-An-Introduction-Religion/dp/1107625785

المرجع السيستاني:الترحيب بمساعدة اصدقائنا لا يعني غض الطرف عن استقلالنا وهويتنا – al-Sistani in the press: Accepting help from our friends does not mean turning a blind eye to our independence or identity

May 17, 2015benrobinz1 CommentAli al-Sistani - السيد علي السيستاني13032015, al-Sistani, identity, independence, Iran, March 2015

Original source (Arabic): http://www.sistani.org/arabic/in-news/25048/ Dated: 13-March-2015 Translation starts here: Report from Nun al-Khabarya news agency. Marja’ al-Sistani: Welcoming aid from our friends does not mean turning a blind eye to our independence and identity. The high representative of the Religious Authority welcomed any assistance from the brothers and friends of Iraq in the fight against

البيانات الصادرة » بيان مكتب سماحة السيد (دام ظـله) حول الانتخابات النيابـية المقبلة – Bayan addressing need to participate in elections for Council of Representatives (al-Sistani)

May 16, 2015benrobinzAli al-Sistani - السيد علي السيستاني16022010, 2010, al-Sistani, elections, participation, Sistani

Original source (Arabic): http://www.sistani.org/arabic/statement/1511/ Dated: 2 – Rabi Al-Awwal 1431 / Tuesday 16 February 2010 C.E Translation starts here: Bayan issued from the Office of His Eminence the Sayyid (long may he live) about the upcoming elections 20 March 2015 Office of Excellency Grand Ayatollah Sayid al-Sistani (long may he live). In the name of God the Merciful.

بيان لسماحة السيد القائد (أعزه الله)حول نية مجلس النواب الامريكي استصدار قرار بشأن العراق يقضي بجعل كل طائفة مستقلة عن الاخرى – Muqtada al-Sadr issues bayan addressing bill in US HoR which intends to provide military funding directly to Kurdish and Sunni-tribal groups

May 15, 2015benrobinzMuqtada al-Sadr - السيد مقتدر الصدر29 April 2015, House of Representatives, Muqtada al-Sadr, Partition

Original source (Arabic): http://jawabna.com/index.php/permalink/7742.html Dated: 29/04/2015 – 10 Rajab 1436 Translation starts here: In the name of the Almighty The US House of Representatives is intending to issue a bill on Iraq that will try to make each sect independent from each other… And this will be the beginning of the overt partition of Iraq… and

Introduction

May 15, 2015benrobinzUncategorizedIntroduction

This site reflects my current research on political identity in the Iraqi-Shi’a religious field – particularly during the period of the al–Hashd al-Shaabi (the Popular Mobilization). In the process of this research I will be translating fatwas, bayans, interviews and other relevant sources in order to build a picture of the discourse around political identity

Iraq After Occupation

Academic and security analysis by Benedict Robin, PhD student @ IMES University of Edinburgh