On the current situation in Iraq and its potential future

In a speech on 26th Muharram 1423 (30 March 2003) on the current crisis in Iraq , Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi outlined the Muslims' responsibilities towards Iraq today.  He said the situation in Iraq is very grave and continued, “Over the past fifty years the people of Iraq have been subjected to many difficulties, and today the calamities are two fold”.

Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi drew similarity of the current situation in Iraq to that of the time of Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq alayhum-as-salam. He said, “At that time the Umayyad were in power ruling the vast Muslim country, while the Abbasid, under the banner and slogan of supporting the right of the Prophet Muhammad's Ahl-ul-Bayt, waged war against the Umayyad.  However, the Imams of the Ahl-ul-Bayt alayhum-as-salam supported neither side, since both sides were against Islam and Muslims.  One of the characteristics of the ma'soom Imams is their farsightedness.  They do not only consider current or short-term measures, but take into consideration the future of the Muslims too, and act accordingly.  Therefore, they (Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq alayhum-as-salam) used the opportunity of the power struggle (between the Abbasid and the Umayyad) to disseminate the teachings of the real Islam.  As a result, one of the outcomes of this policy was that more than 4000 scholars graduated from the school of Imam Sadiq alayhis-salam. Most of what we have today, in terms of the Islamic rulings on economics, politics, ethics, acts of worship, etc. are from these two Imams alayhum-as-salam.”

As one example of the turmoil Iraq has been through over the last half-century, Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi cited one that he experienced when he was in Karbala .  He said, “Some fifty years ago the communists waged a ferocious campaign to promote the ideologies of communism in the holy city of Karbala .  As a result, eventually those ideologies became so widespread in that city that they dominated the thoughts of many of the youth to the extent that the elders lost hope of ever recovering from this situation.  Our late father [1] suggested that all scholars and preachers should hold classes in the mosques, husayniahs, and other religious centres in their areas and explain the fundamentals of Islam and its basic beliefs, and also to address all and every single issue that the communists have raised in their arguments aiming to undermine Islamic beliefs of the Muslims. After concerted and relentless efforts in teaching and disseminating the correct teachings of Islam, communism had effectively been uprooted from the holy city of Karbala , and the people of Karbala were saved from this carefully planned and executed grand plot.”

Pointing to the role the Muslims must play and the duty they have towards the situation in Iraq , Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi said, “ Iraq has a population of more than 26 million, of whom more than 80% are Shi'a, while the youth constitute more than 40% of the population, making them to be more than 10 million.  As for those youths who have not had the opportunity to learn about Islam correctly, we must provide them with the fundamental teachings of Islam through the publication of various books and literature, building schools, mosques, husayniahs, and setting up the likes of Qarz-al-Hasanah centres (giving interest-free loans) and organisations for providing help towards marriage.  Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi went on to point out, “the West has already drawn up plans for our youth, and have set up various organisations to implement those plans, and as an example, according to news reports, one of their plans is to build some 25,000 schools in Iraq in order to enable them to reach their goals.”

While praying to Allah Almighty for His help and support in these difficult times, Ayatollah Shirazi called upon the Muslims to spare no effort to help alleviate the hardship the people of Iraq are subjected to.  Furthermore, Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi called upon the Shia to help rebuild Iraq as a centre of cultural and scientific excellence and he regarded this task to be that of the Shi'a for Iraq belongs to the Shi'a.  If Iraq is liberated, millions of the devotees of the ma'soom Imams would be visiting their shrines and they would spare no effort to rebuild it.

In another speech to a group of Iraqi scholars, tribes chiefs, and political activists, Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi said that the colossal agony and the calamities the Iraqi people are going through are undeniably the direct result of the deviation of the administration in Iraq from the Islamic policy of government that Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib and his son Imam Husayn alayhum-as-salam, adopted.  Praising and glorifying the golden era that Iraq was blessed in during the reign of Imam Ali alayhis-salam, ayatollah Shirazi gave examples of the Imam's justice even towards his enemies.

Addressing the audience of Iraqi scholars and activists, Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi said, “You are responsible and duty bound to run Iraq according to the teachings of the Ahl-ul-Bayt alayhum-as-salam, and Iraq will see prosperity, since Iraq is not in need of anything, for it has the spiritual and material resources.

In the spiritual domain, the shrines of the Ahl-ul-Bayt alayhum-as-salam are the focal point for hearts of the Muslims everywhere.  Furthermore, there are the Hawzahs (universities for Islamic sciences) in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala , as well as the human resources of scholars, intellectuals and devote Muslim tribes men of Iraq .

As for material resources, there is the oil and other minerals, as well as the fertile land.  

All of these are the backbone of progress and prosperous life in Iraq .  Therefore Iraq does not need anything except a wise and prudent administration that runs the country according to the teachings of the Ahl-ul-Bayt alayhum-as-salam; a government that is based on the principle of Islamic freedom, pluralism (according to the teachings of the holy Qur'an), and the laws of Islam such as “the land belongs to Allah and to he who develops it” [2] .  Thus if Allah Almighty enables an individual who adheres to these principles to lead Iraq , the Iraqi people would be a prosperous nation, and would attain utmost degrees of flourishing and progress.  This is the kind of administration that the Iraqi nation aspires to and has been seeking it for many centuries, and now the time has come for it to be realised.

Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi called upon the Iraqi intellectuals and activists to seriously and wholeheartedly draw up plans for wise policies based on the teaching of the holy Qur'an to manage the future Iraqi administration.

Ayatollah al-Udhma Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi also called upon the Iraqis outside Iraq to support their people inside by praying for them and also morally and materially help them by organising relevant groups to coordinate relief efforts for the Iraqi population.