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Victory News Magazine |
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The Role Of Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr in Shi'a Political Activism in Iraq From 1958 to 1980 |
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The
years 1964-1968 were a "golden era" for modern Shi’i
politics, first because the Ba’thist-Arif regime felt indebted to the
Shi’a religious establishment for its help in discrediting and ousting
Qasim’s regime and second because the new regime gained legitimacy from
the Shi’a leaders who supported their crackdown on Communist forces in
the country (ironically, most of those prosecuted were also Shi’as). The
relative freedom the Shi’a enjoyed during that period resulted from the
continuous struggle between the Ba’thists and Arif, between the Arab
nationalists and the Communists, and among the Ba’thists themselves. The
regime was so preoccupied with this internal fighting that it turned a
blind eye to Shi’a political activities, though later, it ousted
Shi’as from the few governmental posts they had gained under Qasim. Free
from government interference, the Da’wa party increased its
membership in the universities and among the intelligentsia. According to Da’wa
sources, more than 1,500 copies of the Da’wa official, but
underground, journal, the awt al-Da’wa, were distributed to
members and supporters in the University of Baghdad alone. Students showed
their commitment in a march known as the mawakb al-talaba
(students’ procession) in Karbala at the annual commemoration of the
martyrdom of the Imam Husayn. Al-Hakim expanded his influence by
increasing enrolment in the Hawza in Najaf and by developing plans
to establish a Western-style Shica academy in Kufa, where a college
education would become available to Shi’a youths who would someday be
influential in political affairs. He also established new religious
centres and libraries in several Iraqi cities directed by missionaries
known as wukala’ (representatives). The religious scholars of
Baghdad and Kadhimiyah organized an association, similar to the Jama’at
al-Ulama’ in Najaf, known as the Hay’at Jama’at al-Ulama’
fi Baghdad wa al-Kadhimiyah. (29)
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Chapter
Five- Golden Era For Modern Shi’a Politics
