2024
			
	    
	
	
    Islamic and sectarian or secular and nationalist? New classification of Iraqi Shi’a political actors based on ideological anchorage
SOMMER, FilipBasic information
Original name
Islamic and sectarian or secular and nationalist? New classification of Iraqi Shi’a political actors based on ideological anchorage
	Authors
SOMMER, Filip
			Edition
 British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 2024, 1353-0194
			Other information
Language
English
		Type of outcome
Article in a journal
		Field of Study
50600 5.6 Political science
		Country of publisher
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
		Confidentiality degree
is not subject to a state or trade secret
		References:
Impact factor
Impact factor: 0.600
			Organization unit
CEVRO University
			Keywords (in Czech)
Irák; šíité; sektářství; Islamismus; Írán
		Keywords in English
Iraq; Shia; sectarianism; Islamism; Iran
		Tags
Tags
International impact, Reviewed
		
				
				Changed: 1/7/2025 09:27, Mgr. Filip Sommer
				
		Abstract
In the original language
Since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, Iraqi Shi’a political actors have been the main forces leading the country, dominating the domestic legislative scene over their Sunni and Kurdish counterparts. This article brings innovative analysis and clas- sification of actors, such as Islamic Da’wa Party, Badr Organization, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), Harakat Huquq, Al-Hikma, Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), Sadrist Movement, or Imtidad, bringing more light on the Iraqi political scene since the parliamentary elections in 2021. The ideological anchorage of the parties is evaluated in two dimensions, religious and sectarian, placing them on the Islamic- secular and sectarian-nationalist axes, reflecting their approach towards intra-religious issues, vilayet al-faqih, possible normalization of relations with Israel, sectarianism, and nationalism. The methodol- ogy of this research is based on Chapel Hill Expert Survey data collection, semi-structured interviews with politicians and political experts from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Iraq, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, content analysis of examined actors’ statements on social and official media and opinion polls, reflecting the voices of the Iraqi society. The main results of this research singled out clusters of more pro-Iranian actors (Badr Organization, AAH, Harakat Huquq), with the highest tendency to use Islamic and sectarian policies, followed by more traditional Iraqi political actors such as Islamic Da’wa Party and ISCI. Al-Hikma, Sadrist Movement and Imtidad then inclined to be more nationalist and secular. Finally, it shows the Iranian influence as a crucial factor in shaping the domestic and foreign policies of thoseactors.