The Twelver Shia In Modern Times

This volume - grown out of an international conference at Freiburg University in 1999 - deals with various aspects of Shiite Islam since the 18th century. It is divided into two major parts, the first of which is dedicated to traditional institutions of theology and learning and their transformation in modern times. The second part treats internal debates and the activities of Shiite dissidents, showing that Shiism is far from being uniform. Ideological and political developments in the 20th century and especially the Islamic Revolution in Iran have shaped the image of modern Shiism more than any other tendencies and are therefore also discussed in greater detail in Parts three and four. This book reflects the state of the art in this field of Islamic studies, its 21 contributions covering three centuries and a vast geographical range.

Charts the history and development of Twelver Shi'ismAs many as 40 different Shi`i groups existed in the 9th and 10th centuries; only 3 forms remain. Why is Twelver Shi`ism one of them? As the established faith in modern Iran, the majority faith in Iraq and areas in the Gulf and with its adherents forming sizeable minorities elsewhere in the region, it is arguably the most successful branch of Shi'ism. Andrew Newman charts the history Twelver Shi'ism, uncovering the development of the key distinctive doctrines and practices which ensured its survival in the face of repeated challenges. He argues that the key to the faith's endurance has been its ability to institutionalise responses to the changing, often localised circumstances in which the community has found itself, thereby remaining remarkably resilient in the face of both internal disagreements and external opposition.

Ranging from the time of the infallible Imams, to the contemporary era, this book provides a comprehensive overview of Shi’i religious and political authority, focusing on Iran and Lebanon, without limiting the discourse to Khomeini’s version of an Islamic State. Utilising untapped Arabic and Persian sources, Hamid Mavani provides a detailed, nuanced, and diverse theoretical discussion on the doctrine of leadership (Imamate) in Shi’ism from traditional, theological, philosophical, and mystical perspectives. This theoretical discussion becomes the foundation for an analysis of the transmission of the Twelfth Imam’s religious and political authority vis-á-vis the jurists during his Greater Occultation. Bringing the often overlooked diversity within the Shi’i tradition into sharp focus, Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Shi’ism discusses what constitutes an Islamic state, if there is such a notion as an Islamic state. Hamid Mavani further explores the possibility of creating a space for secularity, facilitating a separation between religion and state, and ensuring equal rights for all. This book argues that such a development is only possible if there is a rehabilitation of ijtihad. If this were to materialise modern religious, social, economic, political, and cultural challenges could be addressed more successfully. This book will be of use to scholars and students with interests ranging from Politics, to Religion, to Middle East Studies.

From infallible Imams to Ayatollahs in Iran, Shi’ism has long been a prominent, if misunderstood, branch of Islam. It regards Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, as the Prophet’s legitimate successor. But theological differences between the Shi’ah and Sunni Muslims have led to sectarian violence, massacres and the desecration of holy sites. In this Beginner’s Guide, Dr Moojan Momen offers an accessible and comprehensive overview of Shi’ism, tracing the history of the community, its leadership and doctrines, from its inception to modern times. Packed with useful tables, family trees and text boxes, this engaging and up-to-date guide is a perfect introduction to the historical and geopolitical causes of religious tensions still troubling the Middle East today.

This collective volume provides an integrative historical and contemporary discussion of Sunni EulamaE3/4 in the Middle East in both an urban and a semi-tribal context. The various chapters reinforce a renewed interest in the position of the EulamaE3/4 in modern times and offer new insights as to their ideological vitality and contribution to the public discourse on moral and sociopolitical issues.

The modern history of Iraq is punctuated by a series of successive and radical ruptures (coups d'etat, changes of regime, military adventures and foreign invasions) whose chronological markers are relatively easy to identify. Although researchers cannot ignore these ruptures, they should also be encouraged to establish links between the moments when the breaks occur and the longue durée, in order to gain a better understanding of the period.Combining a variety of different disciplinary and methodological perspectives, this collection of essays seeks to establish some new markers which will open fresh perspectives on the history of Iraq in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and suggest a narrative that fits into new paradigms. The book covers the various different periods of the modern state (the British occupation and mandate, the monarchy, the first revolutions and the decades of Ba'thist rule) through the lens of significant groups in Iraq society, including artists, film-makers, political and opposition groups, members of ethnic and religious groups, and tribes.

The modern history of Iraq is punctuated by a series of successive and radical ruptures (coups d'etat, changes of regime, military adventures and foreign invasions) whose chronological markers are relatively easy to identify. Although researchers cannot ignore these ruptures, they should also be encouraged to establish links between the moments when the breaks occur and the longue durée, in order to gain a better understanding of the period. Combining a variety of different disciplinary and methodological perspectives, this collection of essays seeks to establish some new markers which will open fresh perspectives on the history of Iraq in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and suggest a narrative that fits into new paradigms. The book covers the various different periods of the modern state (the British occupation and mandate, the monarchy, the first revolutions and the decades of Ba'thist rule) through the lens of significant groups in Iraq society, including artists, film-makers, political and opposition groups, members of ethnic and religious groups, and tribes. Contents:Introduction (Riccardo Bocco and Jordi Tejel)Dealing with the Past: Methodological Issues (Peter Sluglett):Advice from the Past: 'Ali al-Wardi on Literature and Society (Orit Bashkin)Writing the History of Iraq: The Fallacy of “Objective” History (Johan Franzén)The Sectarian Master Narrative in Iraqi Historiography (Reidar Visser)Beyond Political Ruptures: Towards a Historiography of Social Continuity in Iraq (Peter Harling)The Monarchist Era Revisited (Jordi Tejel):What Did It Mean to Be an Iraqi During the Monarchy? (Hala Fattah)From Forty-One to Qadisiyyat Saddam: Remarks on an Iraqi Realm of Memory (Peter Wien)Building the Nation Through the Production of Difference (Sara Pursley)Rethinking the Ba'thist Period (Hamit Bozarslan):Digging the Past: The Historiography of Archeology in Modern Iraq (Magnus T Bernhardsson)Totalitarianism Revisited: Framing the History of Ba'thist Iraq (Achim Rohde)How to “Turn the Page” (Fanny Lafourcade)Dealing with Victimhood: Whose Memories of Mass Violence? Between Oral and Official History:Fragmented Memory, Competing Narratives (Karin Mlodoch)The Concept of Genocide as Part of Knowledge Production in Iraqi Kurdistan (Andrea Fischer-Tahir)The 1991 Intifada in Three Keys: Writing the History of Violence (Dina Rizk Khoury)'Qadisiyat Saddam': The Gamble That Did Not Pay Off (Chérine Chams El Dine)Shi'i Actors in Post-Saddam Iraq: Partisan Historiography (Peter Sluglett):Partisan and Global Identity in the Historiography of Iraqi Religious Institutions (Robert J Riggs)Najaf and the (Re)Birth of Arab Shi'i Political Thought (Michaelle Browers)Between Action and Symbols (Elvire Corboz)The Politics of Population Movements in Contemporary Iraq: A Research Agenda (Géraldine Chatelard):The Brain Drain in Iraq After the 2003 Invasion (Joseph Sassoon)Cosmopolitanism and Iraqi Migration (Diane Duclos)Representing Iraq History Through the Arts (Hamit Bozarslan):Literary Glimpses of Modern Iraqi History and Society (Sami Zubaida)History and Fiction in the New Iraqi Cinema (Lucia Sorbera)War, Crimes and Video Tapes: Conflicting Memories in Films on Iraq (Nicolas Masson)Poetry in the Service of Nation Building? Political Commitment and Self-Assertion (Leslie Tramontini)Not Just “For Art's Sake”: Exhibiting Iraqi Art in the West After 2003 (Silvia Naef)Appendix: State of the Art on Iraqi Studies: A Bibliographical Survey of English and French Sources (Hamit Bozarslan and Jordi Tejel) Readership: Professionals, students & scholars interested in historical, social & political issues in Iraq & the Middle East. Keywords:Iraq;US Invasion;Ba'th Party;De-Ba'thification;Kurds;Shiis;SunnisKey Features:Most existing publications on Iraqi history present a succession of tragic events which would lead the reader to assume a sort of fatality in the country's evolution towards the present situationDue to deeper observation and analysis (between the local, the regional and the global; between internal and external), the authors offer, in contrast, new grids of analysis on Iraqi history rejecting a primordialist approach that establishes ethnic and sectarian borders as the self-evident reasons of the present situationContributors to this book are well-established researchers in their field

A compelling history of the ancient schism that continues to divide the Islamic world When Muhammad died in 632 without a male heir, Sunnis contended that the choice of a successor should fall to his closest companions, but Shi'a believed that God had inspired the Prophet to appoint his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as leader. So began a schism that is nearly as old as Islam itself. Laurence Louër tells the story of this ancient rivalry, taking readers from the last days of Muhammad to the political and doctrinal clashes of Sunnis and Shi'a today. In a sweeping historical narrative spanning the Islamic world, Louër shows how the Sunni-Shi'a divide was never just a dispute over succession—at issue are questions about the very nature of Islamic political authority. She challenges the widespread perception of Sunnis and Shi'a as bitter enemies who are perpetually at war with each other, demonstrating how they have coexisted peacefully at various periods throughout the history of Islam. Louër traces how sectarian tensions have been inflamed or calmed depending on the political contingencies of the moment, whether to consolidate the rule of elites, assert clerical control over the state, or defy the powers that be. Timely and provocative, Sunnis and Shi'a provides needed perspective on the historical roots of today's conflicts and reveals how both branches of Islam have influenced and emulated each other in unexpected ways. This compelling and accessible book also examines the diverse regional contexts of the Sunni-Shi'a divide, examining how it has shaped societies and politics in countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon.