The Iraqi and Lebanese uprisings reflected the\ninherent philosophical and juristic dispute between the Shiite religious\nMarjayas. These disputes are between the\ntaqlidians and the reformists, as well\nas Najaf and Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reformists whose\nroots can be traced back to Ayatollah Naini, the theorist of constitutionalism,\naspire for a civil state with genuine \nfreedoms and popular sovereignty; They deal with the actual homeland and its borders. In contrast, the fundamentalists of\nthe Iranian religious elite view the\nconstitutional approachwith suspicion. They\nfavor the anti-constitutional Almostabedah<\/em> current led by Fazlollah Nouri. However, they are pragmatic in what they favour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The disputes between the\ntwo currents are\nhistorical at the philosophical and juristic levels. There\nare disputes regarding the role of governance in\njurisprudence as well as disputes regarding various\nother political issues. One current seeks to establish a\nmodern civil state that governs on the basis of laws stipulated in the\nconstitution and through the use of institutions. The\nother believes that it is necessary\nto establish a religious state\nacting on behalf of the Infallible Imam\nuntil he appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is another serious \ndispute between the fundamentalist activists and the reformists \n(i.e. between the Taqlids \nthemselves). The Taqlid \nactivists who are Iranian\nreligious loyalists view the Najafi\nTaqlids with suspicion. They consider them as a negative element that\nopposes the\nsincere expression of the Husseiniya revolution.\nThis dispute can be traced back to\nAyatollah Muhsin al-Hakim and Khomeini while he was in Najaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the\nrelationship between all of these currents \nis not only limited to doctrinal\nthought and convictions, but there are also \nnetworks of political and economic interests and influence that have\nbeen established. These interests have become an influential determinant of the\nrelationship between these currents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Najaf supreme\nauthority does not believe in the Guardianship of the Jurist, nor political\naction in the absence of the Infallible Imam, it does express its opinion on pivotal events in Iraq. It is not usually concerned about issuing statements on what’s\nhappening outside<\/a> Iraq. This however contradicts the Iranian religious elite that\nbelieves in the Guardianship of the Jurist and its centrality since it is perceived as an integral part\nof the Shiite doctrine. Iran\u2019s supreme leader\ndominates all other jurists. The Najaf\nMarjaya also does not believe in the Guardianship of the Jurist, the Shura\nCouncil of Jurists, or in any theory that\ndefines its powers or divides it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This firm belief of the\nreligious elite\u2019s loyalists<\/em> [who believe in the Velayat-e Faqih, i.e. the Jurist\nGuardianship] has motivated them to view Iraqi Shiites, the Lebanese, and local Shiite\ngroups as subjects of the supreme leader. It deals with them in the same manner\nthat it does with Iranian society in the framework of guardianship. \nRevolution, hegemony, expansion and\nsectarianism are <\/strong>priorities for the\nloyalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, we found\ndeep divergence between the Shiite religious elites\nregarding the October uprisings or revolutions in Iraq and Lebanon. The Iranians\ndid not pay attention to the suffering of the people; therefore, as usual, they attributed the whole matter to\nconspiracy theories and external elements \nresponsible for fueling all the demonstrations that threaten their\ninterests, security and borders. However, \nlocal jurists from among the reformists and taqlidis supported these demonstrations\nbecause they were spontaneous<\/a>. These demonstrations were triggered by elite corruption, and Iranian domination in these two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this study, we seek\nto clarify the positions of the clergy\nas well as the scholars of the seminaries on the October uprisings in Iraq and Lebanon,\nand the impact of these positions on the relationship between the Shiite sect and\nthe Iranian religious elite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduction: The Roots\nof the Uprisings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nOctober 1,\n2019, the uprising in Iraq, which was\nconsidered the biggest since the US invasion of 2003, erupted against\ncorruption, unemployment, and Iranian hegemony. They were concentrated in Baghdad and the central and southern cities of Iraq with a high Shiite density<\/a>. The demonstrators chanted slogans against Iran\nand the supreme leader, such as:\n“Iran out out.” They also burned pictures of Khomeini and Khamenei\nand some pro-Iranian leaders.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The demonstrations extended to central Shiite capitals such as\nNajaf and Karbala, and agitated the public against Iran and the supreme leader.\nOn October 28, security forces broke up a sit-in protest in \nKarbala, one of the central Shiite capitals, killing at least 14, and\nwounding more than 100 protestors.[2]<\/sup><\/a> On November 3, Shiite demonstrators attempted to storm the Iranian\nconsulate in Karbala. They burnt the Iranian flag and images of the supreme leader and chanted\nslogans against Iranian hegemony.[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The crisis dates back before October 2019. In September 2018, for\nexample, large demonstrations erupted in Basra city against water pollution and\ncorruption, and the lack of water in the\ncity due to the Iranian policy towards Iraq \nof building dams and thus preventing \nthe flow of water to Iraqi lands. The demonstrators burned the Iranian\nconsulate in Basra, and raised slogans denouncing Iran.[4]<\/sup><\/a> In\naddition, protests were held in June 2019.[5]<\/sup><\/a>\nIn August and September 2019, hundreds of Master\u2019s degree and PhD graduates\nprotested in front of the Iraqi government\nin the center of Baghdad. The security forces\nsuppressed them and broke up their sit-in by force, and the Supreme Marjaya\ncondemned the use of force against the protesters at the time. A fact-finding\ncommittee was formed to investigate the reasons and dimensions of the use of\nforce against the protesters.[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n At that time, the protesters nor their demands were seriously dealt with since the government bet\non the factor of time and the demonstrations fading away. Remarkably, chants\nagainst Iran were reiterated in most of\nthese waves of protest that erupted \nmainly in Shiite cities, or in areas of high Shiite density. However,\ndemonstrations held in 2013 in cities with a high concentration of Sunnis did\nnot include chants against Iran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the Lebanese level, another significant uprising erupted on\nThursday evening, October 17, 2019, against the government, corruption and the\nintroduction of new taxes. Just two days after the outbreak of the\ndemonstrations, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech on\nSaturday October 19. Nasrallah\u2019s speech \nrejected all the demands of the demonstrators, particularly: the\nformation of a technocratic government, or the holding of new parliamentary\nelections. Hassan Nasrallah clearly threatened to mobilise his supporters\nagainst the protesters. He said:\n\u201cYou will find us all on the streets and changing all the equations.\u201d[7]<\/sup><\/a>\nThe Lebanese army issued an official statement after Nasrallah’s speech, siding\nwith the demonstrators, and confirming its solidarity with their demands.[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to Nasrallah’s threats, thousands of protesters took to the streets in defiance. They chanted against him, condemning him as one of the corrupt figures.[9]<\/sup><\/a> It is noteworthy that the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, which has a large Shiite population and is affiliated with Hezbollah, witnessed massive demonstrations. This indicates the fragility of the popular incubators of Hezbollah, which it has sought to increase in recent years.[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n I-The Position of the Iranian Religious Elites Towards the Iraqi and Lebanese Uprisings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Initially, the Iranian\nposition regarding the Iraqi and Lebanese demonstrations diverged. On the one\nhand, it adopted a hostile and firm position against the Iraqi demonstrations, and a calmer disposition towards the Lebanese demonstrations on the other hand. As\nboth uprisings continued, the Iranian official\nposition, represented by the highest religious and political authority Ali\nKhamenei, was sharper and more negative, as the uprisings threatened to\nlimit Iranian sectarian and political\ninfluence in the region, particularly if the main goals of the two uprisings- rejecting \nsectarianism and quotas, and building a modern civil state- succeeded.<\/p>\n\n\n 1.The Position of the Supreme Leader: Jurisprudence of Blood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n In the beginning of the first wave of the Iraqi demonstrations on\nOctober 1, <\/sup>2019, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in an official tweet,\nsaid: \u201cThe enemies are seeking to drive a wedge between Iraq and Iran, to no avail.\u201d[11]<\/sup><\/a>\nHe completely disregarded the more than 100 martyrs who died during the first wave of demonstrations. This raises deep questions about the jurisprudence\nof blood of the ruling religious elite.\nIf we review the religious and juristic sayings of these elites, we will find\nthat bloodshed is justified and legitimized in the framework of preserving the Islamic state and the Guardianship of the\nJurist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ayatollah Misbah Yazdi[12]<\/sup><\/a>\nbelieves that the use of force is mandatory to maintain the Islamic government,\neven if it has been rejected by more than half of the people. He said : \u201cA\nnumber is not a standard for maintaining the\ngovernment. Rather, the standard is when a number of followers of the Imam,\npeace be upon him, or the legitimate state of the jurist provide support for\nmaintaining the government. Sometimes the percentages of these groups constitute 90 percent, 50\npercent, or 40 percent of the people. He is the guardian jurist, who is\ncommanded to maintain the Islamic government. As long as there is a person who can maintain the Islamic government, he is\nobligated to maintain it. A number has no\nvalue any more.[13]<\/sup><\/a>\nThe government must remain, even if it has only 10 percent of supporters, in any form and by any means.[14]<\/sup><\/a>\nIf the Islamic goals can be achieved only through violence, then it becomes necessary.[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, extrajudicial killings must be implemented without \nreference to the court,[16]<\/sup><\/a>\nin order to protect the Islamic values of the state.[17]<\/sup><\/a>\nThis can enable the guardian jurist to take over the state. He therefore has\nthe power to choose who\nhas the right to live in the land\nor otherwise. Every Iranian living on\nIranian territory must believe in the\nGuardianship of the Islamic Jurist. According to Yazdi, \u201cIf you want to live in\nthis country, you must accept the Islamic state even if it uses power against\nyou . Whoever opposes the Islamic state is condemned\nand should be fought, even if only one person is left in this country.\u201d[18]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If this reflects the\nideology of the Iranian ruling religious elite towards the sanctity of the\npeople inside Iran, it is clear that this\nposition is even more brutal against\nprotesters who threaten the influence of the\nGuardianship of the Jurist in the\nregion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the second wave of protests on October 25 which left over 60\npeople dead and more than 2,000 wounded, on Wednesday October 30, 2019, the\nIranian supreme leader commented on the\ndemonstrations in Iraq and Lebanon during the graduation ceremony of cadets\nheld at Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense University. He said, \u201cThe rightful demands\nof the people can be met through the\nlegal channels in their countries.\u201d[19]<\/sup><\/a>\nHe added, \u201cThe biggest blow that enemies can strike\nagainst any country is to take away\nits security, which they started in some countries of the region. I recommend\nthose who care about Iraq and Lebanon to address the riots and insecurity inflicted \nby America, the Zionist entity and some Western countries via the money\nof some reactionary countries.\u201d [20]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the Iranian supreme leader\u2019s use of the word \u201criots\u201d in his recorded\nspeech which is available on his\nofficial website, and after the outrage expressed by Iraqis over the use of\nthis word, a member of the Assembly of Experts\nSheikh Abbas al Kaabi denied the supreme leader’s use of this word: \u201cHis\nEminence did not use the word (riots) in describing peaceful demonstrations and\nprotests in Lebanon and Iraq. He even stated that people’s demands are\nrightful. Improving living conditions,\nfighting corruption, and ensuring justice are\namong the most important duties of the state and one of the most important rights of the people. His Eminence also indicated that public\ndemands can be met through existing legal frameworks.\u201d[21]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the words of the supreme leader were clear and unequivocal<\/a>. To further \nunderstand the dimensions of his speech\nand his intent, all his statements need to be\ncomprehended as well as those of the Iranian\nreligious, political and military elites related to the Iraqi and Lebanese\nuprisings.<\/p>\n\n\n 2.The Position of the Head of the Judiciary<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Commenting on the first wave of the Iraqi\nuprising, Hojjat al-Islam[22]<\/sup><\/a>Ibrahim\nRaisi, head of the judiciary and the most prominent candidate to succeed\nKhamenei, said that these demonstrations were an American-Saudi sedition, to\ncause chaos and prevent Iraqis from participating in the Arbaeen pilgrimage. The same speech \nwas repeated by Yahya Rahim\nSafavi, the supreme leader\u2019s military adviser, and a number of Iranian\nofficials.[23]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n To discuss the Arbaeen pilgrimage within the context of the protests is an\nattempt to sectarianize the issue,provoke sectarianism, and remind protesters in\nShiite majority communities of their sect, as well as to \nhighlight the risks threatening\nthe Shiite sect and community, because of these demonstrations!<\/p>\n\n\n 3.The Position of the Friday Imam of Tehran<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n On October 4, 2019 \u2013 the first Friday following the first wave of Iraqi protests \u2013 Ayatollah\nEmami-Kashan, Friday Imam of Tehran, commenting on the demonstrations, stated:\n\u201cThe enemy pays attention to the Arbaeen pilgrimage and Iraq\nand creates trouble because the issue of Arbaeen\nis tough on them. What is tough on the enemy is that more or less than 20 million people head to\nKarbala. The reason for this opposition\nis that Hussein\u2019s banner calls for \nmartyrdom and steadfastness. This banner awakens nations to stand against\noppression. It includes \u2018we will never accept, humiliation.\u2019\nAll the groups that participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage embody those\nthat will never accept humiliation, and the enemy does not want to\nsee that. With the help of God, the issues and problems that have emerged will be resolved, and the masses will\nparticipate in the 40th<\/sup> march.\u201d[24]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are important nuances that must be comprehended in this sermon, most importantly: the Friday Imam of Tehran drew a link between the demonstrations of Iraq and espionage for a foreign country, as if the Iraqi people were not protesting against living conditions and political corruption. He also drew a link between the demonstrations and the Arbaeen pilgrimage, provoking sectarian sentiments. The most significant contradiction in the Imam of Tehran\u2019s Friday\nsermon was his talk of martyrdom and steadfastness, and the Shiite slogan of \u201cwe will\nnever accept humiliation\u201d in the\ncontext of the Iraqi demonstrations. He\nused the Shiite slogan to describe Iranians who will not accept humiliation\nfrom Iraqi protesters by accusing the Iraqis of working as agents of world\noppressors. [25]<\/sup><\/a>\n Apparently, this slogan is used by the Iranian religious\nelite against its sectarian and political opponents only. Ironically, if this slogan is used against \nit, the religious elite would never accept this, as it is only used in\naccordance with the exigencies<\/a> of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist based on its Khomeinist style!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kashani believes that martyrs\nwho follow the way of God have the true life. He said, \u201cThose who follow the path\nof the martyrs and confront problems and enemies have a true\nlife.\u201d[26]<\/sup><\/a>\nHowever, the Iraqi revolutionaries do not deserve this real life! Despite this contradiction, it represents the doctrine of\nthe Iranian religious elite, which monopolizes religion, doctrine and the 1979\nrevolution. It is the only one that can \ndecide which regime can be\nopposed, or not, because it speaks on behalf\nof the Infallible Imam. Through this way the Iranian religious elite entrenched\nthe principle of infallibility of the deputy of the Infallible Imam, even though it is not\npermitted juristically<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, October 11, 2019, the Friday Imam of Tehran, Ahmad\nKhatami, delivered a speech during the Friday sermon, saying, \u201cThe enemies of\nthe Iranian people took advantage \nof the wave of protests in Iraq.\nThe enemies of the Iranian people aimed to achieve four goals through these\ndemonstrations: The first goal was to makethe Arbaeen\npilgrimage irrelevant, through the spread of\nfear and terror among the people to stop them\ngoing to this pilgrimage, but they failed to\nachieve this. The second was to\ndisunite the Iranian and Iraqi people. The third goal\nwas to target \nthe axis of the resistance.The\nfourth was to take revenge against some\nIraqi officials who stood against\nthe illegal demands of the Zionist\nentity and America.\u201d[27]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Khatami attributed these demonstrations to three sides. The first side is represented by\nAmerica, Britain and Israel. He said that the Zionist entity described the\nIraqi demonstrators as Iraqi revolutionaries<\/em>.\nAccording to Khatami, this description of the demonstrators would distort their\nimage and undermine their demands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second side is represented \nby some Arab countries, according to Khatami\u2019s speech; these protests\nare the result of the\nchaos caused by some reactionary Arab countries. These countries seek to spread unrest and chaos in the world! Some\nelements of the Baathists are the third side responsible for wreaking havoc in Iraq.[28]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n After the second wave of Iraqi protests on October 25, 2019, Ayatollah\nMovahedi-Kermani delivered a Friday sermon in Tehran[29]<\/sup><\/a> on\nNovember 1, saying: \u201cThe point that I should clarify about the Iraqi protests is the influence of some\nof the aberrant<\/a> marjas \nas we call them English Shi\u2019a .\nEspecially, they committed crimes in Karbala, Basra and Amarah. The Iraqi people must keep themselves \naway from them.\u201d[30]<\/sup><\/a>\nThese attempts \naimed to sectarianize the conflict again by accusing the Shirazis of\nbeing behind the uprising. However, he never acknowledged the thousands of\nmartyrs and the injured demonstrators!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Movahedi-Kermani\nconcluded his sermon with prayers: \u201cWe \nask The Mighty and Majestic to end this strife quickly and for the Lebanese and Iraqi people\nto taste unity quickly. \u201d[31]<\/sup><\/a>\nWe note here the use of the word \u2018sedition\u2019 used by the Iranian religious\nestablishment to describe everything\nthat threatens their interests, while using the words \u2018revolution\u2019 and\n\u2018uprising\u2019 to describe movements that serve their strategic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The common denominator<\/a>s in all \nthe Tehran Friday sermons regarding the Iraqi and Lebanese\ndemonstrations throughout the months\nof October and November can be\nsummarized as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1-The demonstrations are\ncaused by the West, America, and Arab countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2-They lead to chaos and sedition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3- They are agitated by some elements of the Baathists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4-They target the\nresistant axis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5-They are stirred by the English Shiite.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the position of the clergy does not\ndiffer significantly from the Iranian diplomatic line adopted by the Ministry\nof Foreign Affairs in its official statements,[32]<\/sup><\/a> and\nin the statements of security officials. According to one of the\ncommanders of the special units of the Iranian police, these demonstrations are\ndesigned to weaken the resistance front\nin the region, which is the greatest achievement of the Islamic Republic.[33]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n II-The Iranian Ways of Dealing With the Two Uprisings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n After Khamenei’s speech and the negative responses from the political and religious elites regarding the\nIraq demonstrations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also got\ninvolved in this matter. According to a Reuters report, senior IRGC officers\nwith experience in containing civil unrest met during the protests with Iraqi\nsecurity officials, and Iranian advisers warned that if the demonstrations continued, they would undermine \nthe government.[34]<\/sup><\/a>\nTherefore, there was a deliberate\nintention<\/a> to kill the\ndemonstrators as was stated by Haider al-Abadi, the former Iraqi Prime\nMinister, who is undoubtedly familiar\nwith what is going on inside the Iraqi\nstate.[35]<\/sup><\/a>\nApparently, Iranian experts made their recommendations early on from the first\nday of the Iraqi uprising. Therefore, the demonstrations were dealt with using several means which were\nused previously in response to the\nDecember 2017 protests in Iran. These included the following:<\/p>\n\n\n 1.Sniping and Direct Killing<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n The death toll in the first\nwave of demonstrations in Iraq at the beginning of October was over 100 with nearly 4,000 demonstrators wounded, some of whom were in critical\ncondition.[36]<\/sup><\/a>\nIn the second wave of Iraqi demonstrations that erupted on October 25, more than 60 protesters were\nkilled and over 2,000 were injured.[37]<\/sup><\/a>\nIn addition, dozens were killed and injured in between the two waves, and after\nthe second wave, in Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad, and the central cities.[38]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Iraqi government has officially denied that its security\nforces faced the protesters with live\nbullets, and stated\nthat it will launch a full investigation into the killing of the demonstrators.\nThis supports \nthe Reuters report that the snipers who participated in the killing of\nthe protesters are affiliated to militias under the umbrella of the guardian\njurist rather than the regular security forces,[39]<\/sup><\/a>\nparticularly in the massacre witnessed during the first wave of the uprising.<\/p>\n\n\n 2.Preventing Access to the Internet and Curfews<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n The Iraqi government blocked internet access across the country\nand imposed a curfew on Thursday,\nOctober 3, 2019, in fear of further demonstrations on Friday, October 4.[40]<\/sup><\/a>\nHowever, thousands of demonstrators broke the curfew and took to the squares\nwhere they demonstrate,\nthereby rendering the government\u2019s measures ineffective.[41]<\/sup><\/a>\nCurfews were imposed repeatedly\nthroughout the uprising but the government\u2019s efforts to prevent the demonstrations failed again. None of these measures were effective in \npreventing the revolutionaries\nfrom demonstrating in almost all Iraqi cities. The voices of the demonstrators\nresonated across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n 2.Bloodbaths<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n The demonstrations in Iraq turned into bloodbaths, according to\nAmnesty International reports. The demonstrators were intimidated and\nthreatened, both physically and psychologically, with prosecution, arrest,\ndismissal from government jobs, kidnapping, and other extrajudicial acts.[42]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n 3.With Regard to the Lebanese Uprising<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Hezbollah\u2019s militias assaulted the\ndemonstrators. In addition, the\ndemonstrators were accused of espionage and\ntreason by the media and those loyal to Hezbollah.[43]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This treatment toward the\nIraqi and Lebanonese uprisings, especially the Iraqi demonstrations, by the\nIran-backed militias and Iranian military advisers, according to Reuters, is in\ncomplete alignment with the religious and ideological rhetoric of the ruling\nelite in Iran, and its vision of the position of the guardian of the jurist,elections and popular sovereignty.\nThis is illustrated above in the words of Mesbah Yazdi and others, which describe the position\ntaken towards \nthe demonstrators, despite their affiliation with the Shiite sect.<\/p>\n\n\n III-The Position of the Religious Marjaya in Najaf<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n The position of Najaf diverged from that of\nTehran increasingly. However, it is noticed \nthat the strongest statement was\nissued by Najaf after the demonstrators were accused of\nespionage by the Iranian leader Ali\nKhamenei. Ayatollah Sistani \u2013 in what was considered a response to Iranian\ninterference \u2013 said: \u201cNo party or regional or international actor has\nthe right to confiscate the will of the Iraqis,\u201d[44]<\/sup><\/a> in\nreference to Khamenei’s accusations of espionage. and the need for legal methods to be\npursued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the same day that\nSistani said these words which warned of external interference leading to the\nwill of the Iraqis being usurped,\nthe Friday Imam of Tehran said that Iraq was exposed to a conspiracy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we consider the\nsequence of events, we find that the position of the Supreme Marjaya in Najaf\nis firm and clear towards supporting the demonstrations. At the same time, the\nmarjaya in Najaf is not a solid institution, and it cannot engage with the Iranians in an open clash\nthat could lead to consequences, such as\nconfrontation with militias on the\nground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, October 4, after the events witnessed in the first wave of protests, it\nwas stated in the Friday sermon of the Supreme Marjaya: “Things must be\nrectified before it is too late.” Regarding the violence, it mentioned:\n\u201cThere are unacceptable and condemned attacks against\npeaceful demonstrators and the security forces. The government must change its\napproach when dealing with the country’s\nproblems. The government should fulfill its duties, do its best to improve public services, provide job\nopportunities for the unemployed, end \nfavoritism in public jobs, and complete the cases of those who are charged with\ncorruption and bring them to justice.\u201d[45]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n On Friday, October 11, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalai, the\nrepresentative of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, said during the Friday\nsermon in Karbala that \u201cthe government and its security services are\nresponsible for the great bloodshed that was spilt in the demonstrations in the\npast days,\u201d He set a two-week deadline\nfor the authorities to announce the results of their investigations.[46]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Friday sermon on\nOctober 25, when the second wave of the uprising broke out, the Marjaya stated:\n\u201cThe real reform, and the desired change for the management of the country,\nshould be demanded through peaceful means. Corruption should be fought,\nand the privileges of senior officials should be abolished. The report of the\ninvestigation committee regarding the previous demonstrations did not achieve\nthe expected goal, nor did it reveal the facts. Accordingly, we call for\nforming an independent judicial body to follow up the demonstrations, limit\narms to the state, enact a\nnew electoral law, and challenge external interference in the affairs of the\ncountry vigorously.\u201d[47]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the Marjaya called for a resolute approach to address\nexternal interference, the Iranian supreme leader spoke on Iraqi affairs in a\nspeech on Wednesday, October 30. According to his official website, he\n\u201crecommended those who are keen on the two countries to address the riots run\nby America and the Zionist entity.\u201d[48]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the first Friday sermon of November, the Supreme Marjaya reiterated its advice to the\nstate not to use violence against the\ndemonstrators, and not to send its security\nforces to confront the young. Also, the\nSupreme Marjaya implicitly denounced Iranian interference \u2013 especially the statements\nof the supreme leader who described the events in Iraq as riots. The\nMarjaya stated: \u201cThe religious marjaya\nreiterates its well-known position on\ncondemning ill-treatment against \npeaceful demonstrators and all kinds of unjustified violence, and holding necessarily those responsible to account. It also calls upon \nthe relevant authorities on not involving any combat forces in dealing\nwith sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations, for fear of further violence.\nRespecting the will of Iraqis to define the political and administrative regime\nof their country by conducting a public referendum on the Constitution and\nperiodic elections to the House of Representatives is the principle that the\nreligious marjaya committed to and reiterated since the regime changed over.\nToday, it affirms that reform is an imperative necessity \u2013 as has been\ndiscussed more than one time. However,\nnecessary reform in this regard is also mandated to the Iraqi people\u2019s choice\nwith all its communities throughout the country. No person, group or party with\na specific orientation or any regional or international party has the right to confiscate the will of the\nIraqis and impose his opinion on them.\u201d[49]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The position of the other marjayas did not differ from Sistani\u2019s.\nThe representative of Ayatollah Najafi\nsaid: \u201cOur position with regard to the demonstrations in Iraq and the Iraqi\ngovernment and the challenges facing Iraq is similar to what was presented\nthrough the Friday sermons held at the Imam Husayn Shrine. Najaf has always\nidentified the mistakes in the Iraqi state, drew the attention of its officials\nto these mistakes and revealed the need to find appropriate solutions to them.\nIt is imperative to find appropriate solutions to these problems and provide a\ndecent life for Iraqi citizens.\u201d[50]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A statement from the Iraqi religious authority on Saturday,\nNovember 9, 2019 denied what was reported in the media about an agreement\nbetween the marjaya and political forces to keep the government of Abdul-Mahdi\nin power and end the ongoing protests. The statement stressed that the position\nof the religious marjaya towards the popular protests, as well as its\nrelationship and dealings with them was what was announced clearly in the\nFriday sermons. \u201cI have informed all of those that contacted me in this regard.\nAll of what has been associated with\nour position otherwise is for political exploitation\nby some parties and is baseless.\u201d[51]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A statement of the marjaya \nwas issued on Monday, November 11, 2019 after Ayatollah Sistani received\nMrs. Jenin Hennes Blachart, Head of the United Nations Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).\nIt included the marjaya\u2019s\nreiteration of the people’s right to protest,\nand that the protesters will not return to\ntheir homes until their demands are met. In\naddition, it called for an end to external\ninterference. Ayatollah Sistani concluded: \u201cThe situation cannot remain as it\nwas before the recent protests.\u201d[52]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n We note that the marjaya\nreiterated its rejection\nof external interference and the right of the people to demonstrate peacefully.\nThis was because the marjaya felt embarrassed in\nfront of the people as the dead and injured\nwere very large in number. This put the marjaya in confrontation with the\ndemonstrators who called for a fatwa from the marjaya to protect them from the\noppression of the security forces and the pro-Iranian militias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important\npoints that the Supreme Marjaya focused on in all Friday sermons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We did not find any\nterms related to conspiracy, espionage, riots, British Shiism, and\nZionist-American plots as\ncited in the speeches and statements of Iranian religious elites. However, the\nposition of the Najaf Supreme Marjaya is not expected to go further than denunciations and the issuance of statements,\nas was the case in previous events such as the demonstrations in Basra that\nwere met with live bullets[53]<\/sup><\/a>\nand other demonstrations in which the marjaya resorted only to statements and\ndenunciations. This is because Iraq\u2019s religious marjaya has spiritual authority\nover the Iraqi political arena, i.e., it does not have power over Iraqi public\naffairs like that of the Velayat-e Faqih in\nIran. It is not one of the solid state institutions that can challenge some of\nthe armed militias affiliated with Iran. Therefore, the marjaya always calls\nfor restricting arms to the state. In addition, there is also the intermingling\nof some interests and influence of the clergy, which threatens the networks of\neconomic and political interests as a whole if there are fundamental changes in\nthe core of the Iraqi constitution and patterns of the relationship between\njurists and politicians that have been established in the period from 2003\nonwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this context, the\nIranian government\u2019s decision to stop religious trips to Shiite religious\nshrines in Iraq appeared to be a disciplinary action against Najaf for its\nsupportive position of the demonstrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iranian television quoted from a source in the Iranian Supreme\nLeader Ali Khamenei\u2019s office ,\nsaying that \u201csecurity is not available at the present time for Iranian visitors\nto come over.\u201d[54]<\/sup><\/a>\nThis may be part of a message to the supreme marjaya that ongoing\ndemonstrations will decrease the income of religious sites in Najaf and\nKarbala. The economic situation of the Iraqi religious marjaya was also\naffected, because the financial resources of \nthe Shiite shrines in Najaf and Karbala depend mainly on the numbers of\nIranian tourists. This event had happened before when Raza Khan (1878-1944)\ncame to power in Iran in 1925 and prevented Iranians from visiting Najaf and\nKarbala. He therefore stopped financial support for the Najaf Hawza, which\ncaused great suffering to religious scholars and made it difficult to fund\nHawza schools and students as well as existing projects belonging to the\nmarjaya. The Shah set conditions to agree to reimbursing the money, including the identity of the people on who the\nmoney would be spent. Isfahani and Mirza Al-Naini complained about not\nreceiving funds and legal entitlements from\nIran. They stated that what they received in funds was from Afghanistan and Zanzibar. There was a clear\ndestabilization in the financial situationthat resulted in a significant number of Hawza students leaving the seminary.When Nasir al-Din Shah (1831-1896)\nvisited Najaf, Mirza Al-Shirazi refused to meet him. The rest of the Najaf scholars\nwelcomed him, and their relationship withAl-Shirazi became strained because of his\ntough position on the Shah. The Najaf scholars were afraid to tackle the economic\nconsequences stemming from the Shah\u2019s policies\nbecause of Al-Shirazi’s position.[55]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to one Shiite thinker: \u201cThe economy of Najaf and its\ncentral image in Iraq and Iran, and its distinction from other cities under the\nOttoman authority, were largely the outcome of such visits carried out by\nprominent leaders and people. A quick reading of the history of the holy cities\nis enough to discover that important urban projects were established there as a\nresult of the visits of leaders of this type, especially from the kings and\nprinces of Iran.\u201d[56]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In any case, the Iranian\ndecision to prevent Iranian visitors from traveling to Iraq\u2019s Shiite shrines sends a message to the Supreme Marjaya in\nNajaf, and to dignitaries, merchants and officials in Najaf and Karbala. It\nreflects implicit\nrecognition<\/a> of the demonstrations\nand their effectiveness, as well as how far they spread. It includes\nrecognition that Iranian presence and influence are being targeted even in the\nheart of Shiite capitals.<\/p>\n\n\n IV-Independent and Reformist Clergy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n There are a large number of clerics who are neither affiliated\nwith the Najaf Marjaya nor are they totally affiliated with the Iranian state.\nThey supported the demonstrations, and some of them participated in them. In the first uprising of Iraqis on October 1, 2019, Sheikh Yasser\nAuda said: \u201cDoes the Hussein government loot? Is the Hussein government a\nthief? Does the Hussein government \nkill people in cold blood?\u201d[58]<\/sup><\/a>\nHis statement was a reference to the widespread corruption of the Iraqi government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a number of demonstrators were subjected to harassment and\nviolence in Lebanon, Auda said: Peace to all young people rising up, they are\nfree men of Lebanon. I tell them: Keep going, no matter how great the pressure\nis – and the threat is great – so that at least your children do not curse you\nas our children did because we were followers of our communities\u2019 leaders. I\nstand by the youth even if they are secular, Christian, Druze, Alevi, or Sunni,\nand no matter what they are I will stay with them because every human has his\nown rights even if he is an infidel. This is what we have learned from Imam\nAli.[59]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Yasir Auda responded to one of the jurists of Velayat-e\nFaqih who forbade “the burial of the uprising\u2019s martyrs who were killed by\nthe security forces in Muslim graves because they are apostates of the Islamic\nstate.”[60]<\/sup><\/a>\nThe intended Islamic state here –\naccording to the loyalists – is Iran. He also denounced the image distortion and the religious devaluation\nto which protesters were subjected to by saying, \u201cI am an agent for the poor and I\nam an agent for vulnerable\npersons<\/a>.\u201d[61]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Religious marja Sheikh Mohammad al-Yaqoobi, leader of the Fadhila\nParty, announced his support for the demonstrations in a statement and said: \u201cI\nbelieve that one of the most valuable outcomes achieved by the rising of the\nconscious youth, of the liberation uprising, is the restoration of the national\nidentity that sectarians had corrupted and their agents had taken away until\nthey wasted our hope to revive it and\nforced many of the sons of the nations to emigrate, leaving their families,\nmemories and eyes focused on those behind them.\u201d He rejected the use of violence against the demonstrators by saying:\n\u201cInsisting on the policy of repression and the use of violence does not help,\nbut it will lead the country and people\nover the edge and you cannot defeat young people who look for death and take\nbullets with bare breasts.\u201d[62]<\/sup><\/a>\nAlthough al-Yaqoobi is affiliated with the elite of the Iraqi government, his\nstatement confirms that the demonstrators forced the Iraqi religious\nestablishment to announce their support. This confirms that the demonstrations\nare of a national consensus, and the religious marjaya within Iraq, did not accuse the demonstrators of\nespionage. They were accused by marjayas outside of Iraq. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the reformist Iraqi clerics who supported the\ndemonstrations was Sheikh Meethaq al-Aeser, who stood for the rights of the protesters and criticized the\nIranian handling of the Iraqi uprising. He\nargued with them depending on the statements of Khomeini and his companions\nof the revolution, and listed some of\nKhomeini\u2019s texts that he was delivering to his followers during the Iranian\nrevolution calling on them to strike and demonstrate and halt public life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kamal al-Haydari is a marja who supported the demonstrations\nand demanded the dismissal of the government. In one of his lessons, he said :\n\u201cIt is with great regret that the Iraqi people experienced another ordeal\nequally serious to the previous one. A corrupt class dominated political,\neconomic and social conditions, leading the nation to a state of despair and frustration in the homeland. I\nhave repeatedly warned in the past years of the widespread corruption in the\nruling class with all its branches, communities, currents and parties.\nCorruption has become a phenomena in the public life of the country facing no\nreligious or legal deterrence. The demonstrations that erupted and that will\nbreak out are only a natural reaction to this corruption. We declare our\ncomplete support of the demands of the\nprotesters in eliminating this ruling class. We call upon the Iraqi people to restrain any corrupt party that\nhas participated in the corruption -of \nall its communities and marjayas-\nand to participate in the wave of demonstrations and not to waste the rightful demands of the protesters.\u201d [63]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another supporter is the cleric Muhammad Hassan Al-Amin, who has\nsupported the demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq. He also declared that a civil state has become a popular\ndemand for all.[64]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Among those who attacked the Iranian leader and accused him of\nbeing behind the suppression of the Iraqi and Lebanese people is Sheikh Subhi\nal-Tufayli,[65]<\/sup><\/a>\nwho accused Iran of sabotaging Iraq and Lebanon.[66]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Taqi al-Modarresi is another supporter of the demonstrations since\nday one.[67]<\/sup><\/a>\nHe called upon the clergy to advise the government and stand by the people.[68]<\/sup><\/a>\nHe reiterated his support for the demonstrations following the recent violent\nevents.[69]<\/sup><\/a>\nThere were dozens of Shiite imams and clerics who participated in the\ndemonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq and against the Iranian hegemony and the\nruling elites.[70]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are broad Shiite currents that supported the demonstrators\nand criticized Iranian intervention, such as the Shirazi movement. The\nreligious marjaya of Sadiq Al-Shirazi, the leader of the Shirazis, issued a\nstatement saying, \u201cIt is unfortunate that this Iraq has become a grave of\nthe dead and wounded. In this ongoing and painful tragedy, I am recommending\neveryone to strive to end these massacres which are a shameful incident in\nhistory. I also recommend the government, the army, the police and the security\nforces to make room for peaceful demonstrations of any kind, and to speed up\nthe process of fulfilling the\ndemands of the honorable demonstrators and not to harass them, as what Amir\nal-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, used to do during his great, fair and virtuous\ngovernment. I also recommend the proud, oppressed, and persistent Iraqi people\n– who have suffered for the last several decades through unjust governments and\nfrom injustice and tyranny – to commit themselves to peaceful demonstrations and certainly not to allow those who\ndiscredit them to infiltrate their ranks.\u201d[71]<\/sup><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n We conclude that the ruling Iranian religious elite is the only one who looks at the\ndemonstrations as a conspiracy and espionage. The Iranian elite also believes\nthat the demonstrations are funded by international and regional powers. But\nmost of the traditional and reformist local religious elites are aware of the demands\nof the youth and the new generation particularly for\ndemocracy, a civil state, and social justice. Iran, however, has the power on\nthe ground which significantly outweighs \nthat of the religious elites and local hawza that oppose Iranian\nhegemony.<\/p>\n\n\n V- Implications and Dimensions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n There are several\nindications that can be gleaned from the Iraqi and Lebanese uprisings, the most\nimportant of which are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. The Incubators<\/a> of Taqlid and Rebellion Against the Guardian Jurist <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
\nThe Lebanese cleric Sheikh Yasser Auda, one of the reformist clerics and students of Hussein\nFadlallah, announced his solidarity from the first day of the Lebanese and\nIraqi demonstrations and participated himself in the Lebanese uprising on\nOctober 17, 2019.[57]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n