Shia Hierarchy The Ayatollahs

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Shia HierarchyThe Ayatollahs
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The Classification of this Presentation
is.. UNCLASSIFIED
Conclusions presented in this lecture are derived
from independent analysis from an objective point
of view with the intention to educate military
personnel regarding indigenous culture. Please
respect the policy of academic freedom and do not
release this material publicly without prior
consent.
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Objective

• Action Identify key aspects of the Shia
  Hierarchy.
• Conditions Given instruction.
• Standards Identified key aspects of Shia
  Hierarchy.

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Administrative Data

• Safety Requirements None
• Risk Assessment Level Low
• Environmental Considerations None
• Evaluation Exam

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Overview
? Najaf, Brief History ? Shia Hierarchy ?
Previous/Current Grand Ayatollahs ? The Big 5 ?
Persons of Interest ? Important Deceased
Religious Figures ? Association Chart
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Najaf
Shrine of Ali, 4th Caliph of Islam and 1St Imam
of Shia Islam. He is the spiritual founder of
all Shia sects. The Shia religious seminary
and center of religious scholarship. Shiites
comprise 60 of Iraqs 26 million people but
has traditionally been in the political minority

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Shia Hierarchy
Grand Ayatollah great sign of God Ayatollah
sign of God Hojat al Islam authority on
Islam Mubellegh al Risala carrier of the
message Mujtahid graduate of religious
seminary Talib ilm religious student
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Previous Grand Ayatollahs
GA Muhsin al Hakim 1955-1970 GA Imam Abul
Qassim al Khoei 1970-1992 GA Muhammed Sadiq al
Sadr 1992- 1999 GA Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani
1999 to Present
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Five (?) Current Grand Ayatollahs
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani Grand
Ayatollah Muhammed Sayid al Hakim Grand
Ayatollah Bashir Hussain al Najafi Grand
Ayatollah Muhammed Ishaq Fayadh Grand Ayatollah
Kazim al Haeri-Yazdi
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Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani
? Reclusive, brilliant Islamic scholar, viewed as
the Religious Authority in Iraq. ? Controls
the Najaf Hawza al Ilmiya (circle of learned
Islamic scholars). ? Several assassination
attempts ? Born 1930/Iranian ? Prolific writer ?
Operates from a conservative or quietist
Shia tradition ? Resides in Najaf ? Supports the
United Iraqi Alliance for January 2005
elections ? www.sistani.org
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Grand Ayatollah SistaniAssociations
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Grand Ayatollah Bashir Hussain al Najafi
? Pakistani ? Prominent cleric after Sistani ?
Reclusive, yet colorful ? Regarded as a source of
religious emulation and his written opinion
carries the force of law ? Political
conservative ? Resides in Najaf ? Two significant
assassination attempts 6 JAN 99 (grenade tossed
into his home) 9 JUL 03 (assassin hid in his
home) ? The Iraqi people are so deprived and
theyve been suffering for a long time. We
want to spare them another war. 10/22/03
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Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Sayid al Hakim
? Iraqi ? Resides in Najaf ? Head of one of
Iraqs most powerful cleric families ? Not
associated with SCIRI ?Assassination attempt on
24 AUG 03 Bomb detonated in his home but he
was unharmed ? Associated with the late
Grand Ayatollah Muhsin al Hakim (brother)
Ayatollah Abdul Aziz al Hakim (nephew) the
late Grand Ayatollah Sayid Muhammad Baqir al
Hakim (nephew/founder of SCIRI and Islamic
Movement)
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Grand Ayatollah al Hakim Associations
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Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Ishaq Fayadh
? Afghani ? Resides in Najaf ? Political
conservative ? Regarded as a source of religious
emulation
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Grand Ayatollah Kazim al Haeri-Yazdi
? Often called the 5th Grand Ayatollah ? Born
1939 (?) ? Resides in Qom Iran ? Living in
exile since 1979 but keeps an office in Najaf ?
Favors a Khomeini style government in
Iraq Velayet-e Faqih ? Muqtada al Sadr is his
professed lieutenant ? Frequent
anti-American/anti-Semitic expressions
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Grand Ayatollah al Haeri-Yazdi Associations
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Other Persons of Interest
Muqtada al Sadr Supreme Council for the Islamic
Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) Ayatollah Abdul Aziz
al Hakim Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi Grand
Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadallah
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Muqtada al Sadr
? No formal Islamic training ? Born (?) 1974 ?
Head (by death and default) of his influential
family ? Ultra Shia conservative/Velayet-e
Faqih ? Owes his support base to family
name/legacy control of Sadr City markets
and infrastructure Mehdi Army ? Dual
motivation Oppose US and trump Iraqi
rivals
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Muqtada al Sadrand Conflict in Najaf
? Fighting and unrest in Najaf August 2004 ?
Iraqi Decisions, Coalition Might
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Muqtada al Sadr and a Move Toward Peace in
Najaf
? Disarmament/Weapons for Cash/Prisoner Release
Left the good guns at home, hedging against
peace and the reality of cash ? 5 for a hand
grenade ? 50 for an automatic weapon (AK-47) ?
1,000 for a heavy caliber machine gun ? Sadr
City support 500M in pledged support
Rebuild Sadr City infrastructure and
reconstruction
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Muqtada al Sadr Associations
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SCIRIThe Supreme Council for the Islamic
Revolution in Iraq

• ? Political party
• ? Membership composed of Shiites
• ? Formed by GA Sayid Muhammed Baqir al Hakim
• ? Iran based (supported Iran during Iran-Iraq
  War)
• ? Established the Badr Corps (Badr Bde or Org)
• ? Currently directed by Ayatollah Abdul Aziz al
  Hakim
• ? Avoids confrontations with GA Sistani
• ? Iraqi Nationalist stance under Aziz al Hakim
• Heavily invested in 30 January 2005 elections

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Ayatollah Abdul Aziz al Hakim
? Leader of SCIRI ? Public leader of a very
influential/powerful family ? Participant in
Iraqi Provisory Government in 2003 ? Liaison for
GA Sistani to Iraqi Governing Council ?
Politically savvy/Understands Globalization ?
Refers to Iraq resistance fighters as
terrorists ? Assassination attempt, 27
December 2004
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Ayatollah Abdul Aziz al Hakim Associations
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Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadallah
? Spiritual inspiration for Lebanons Hizbullah
Party ? Established himself in Lebanon in
1965 ? Originally from Najaf
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Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi

• ? Director of Iraqi National Congress
• Iraqi Interim Governing Council President (Sep
  03)
• One time Pentagon favorite
• His party supported in Jan 05 elections
• Shia Arab, left Iraq in 1956
• Convicted of bank fraud in Jordan
• Warrant for arrest issued in Iraq for
• counterfeiting (9 August 04)
• Nephew, Salem, charged with the
• murder of general director of the Finance
• Ministry, Haithem Fadhil (9 August 04)

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Important Deceased Religious Figures
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Grand Ayatollah Sayid Mohammad Baqir al Hakim
? Born 1939, Najaf ? Assassinated 29 August
2003 ? Founded SCIRI ? Openly condemned
Bathist rule ? Extensive family connections ?
Welcomed as Iraqs great hope for national unity
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Grand Ayatollah al Hakim Associations
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Grand Ayatollah Sayid Muhammed Baqir al Sadr
? Born 1933 ? Assassinated 1980 by Hussein
regime ? Founded the Islamic Movement Party ?
Uncle of Muqtada al Sadr
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Grand Ayatollah Muhammad al Sadr
? The GA and Iraqs spiritual leader from
1992-1999 ? Born 1933 ? Assassinated 1999 by
Hussein regime (Uday) ? All public mourning
services were prohibited ? Father of Muqtada al
Sadr
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Grand Ayatollah Imam Abul Qassim al Khoei

• ? GA and Iraqs spiritual leader from 1970 to
  1992
• ? GA Sistanis and GA Sayid Muhammed Baqir al
  Sadrs mentor
• ? Historically has been controlled by Hussein
  regime
• ? Died of old age
• Embittered and betrayed by US rejection of
  support
• during Shia uprising in 1991 (reportedly his
  son waited
• for days to see General Schwarzkopf to seek aid.
  The son sought exile in London.)
• Son was Ayatollah Abdul Majid al Khoei
• Darling of the Pentagon
• Assassinated in 2003, knifed in a Najaf mosque
  while under US protection. Ordered by Sadr.

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Grand Ayatollah al Khoei Associations
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Ayatollah Sheikh Murtada al Burajerdi
? Assassinated in April 1998 by Hussein regime ?
Serious congregational prayer leader
and candidate for Grand Ayatollah
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Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mirza Ali al Gharawi
? Assassinated in June 1998 by Hussein regime ?
Respected religious scholar and senior spiritual
leader
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Association Chart
GA Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani ------
son---------------------Mullah Mohammed Redha Ali
al Sistani son-------------------
--Mohammed Sayid Redha al Sistani GA Muhammed
Sayid al Hakim---- nephew----------------Ayatolla
h Abdul Aziz al Hakim

nephew----------------GA Sayid Muhammad Baqir al
Hakim? brother----------------GA
Muhsin al Hakim? GA Bashir Hussain al Najafi
-------- son----------------------Sheikh Ali
al Najafi GA Muhammad Ishaq Fayadh GA Kazim al
Haeri-Yazdi---------- associate-------------
Muqtada al Sadr
son----------------------Ayatollah Mohammed
Hussain Haeri GA Muhsin al Hakim?-------------
- son----------------------Mohsen Hakim
son----------------------- Sayed
Mahdi al Hakim?
son----------------------GA Sayid
Mohammad Baqir al Hakim?
son----------------------Ayatollah Abdul Aziz al
Hakim brother---------------
-GA Muhammed Sayid al Hakim GA Imam Abul Qassim
al Khoei?---- son------------------Ayatollah
Abdul Majid al Khoei?

son------------------Sayed Mohammed Taqi al
Khoei? GA Muhammad Sadiq al Sadr?-------
son------------------Muqtada al Sadr
son------------------Mustafa al
Sadr? son-----------------
Muammad al Sadr?
brother-----------GA Sayid Muhammed Baqir al
Sadr? GA Sayid Muhammed Baqir al
Sadr?---brother-------- GA Muhammed Sadiq al
Sadr? nephew-------- Muqta
da al Sadr GA Sayid Mohammed Baqir al Hakim? GA
Sheikh Mirza Ali al Gharawi? GA Muhammad Hussein
Fadallah ? Dead financial
association
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Questions ?
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The Classification of this Presentation
is.. UNCLASSIFIED
Conclusions presented in this lecture are derived
from independent analysis from an objective point
of view with the intention to educate military
personnel regarding indigenous culture. Please
respect the policy of academic freedom and do not
release this material publicly without prior
consent.