Hassan Abbas, Center for Global Policy, February 18, 2020
The world’s most prominent Shiite religious leader, Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, commands a great deal of influence and respect – not just in Iraq, but around the world. Questions about who will succeed the cleric and how the reportedly complicated selection process will unfold are being raised frequently, given his age – and perhaps because of the political instability and rising distress in Iraq and the broader region, especially since the U.S. move to effect regime change in Baghdad in 2003. The principal question is whether he is irreplaceable or if his successor can be expected to fulfill a similar moderating role in Iraqi politics and offer balance in the geopolitics between the United States and Iran. Should U.S. policy makers and strategists be concerned about the transition and succession of religious leadership?
Al-Sistani’s Appeal
Meeting al-Sistani in Najaf a few years ago was as inspiring as it was intriguing. Simple, straightforward and always to the point, al-Sistani’s discourse was highly instructive. After hearing my views on Middle East geopolitics, he calmly commented, “I neither agree nor disagree with your position.” I was left both curious about his views and in awe of his enigmatic persona. On my request for guidance in my research work on political history of Islam, all he said was, “A true scholar must avoid presenting his opinions as facts.”
It’s no surprise that al-Sistani’s patience and wisdom are widely seen as Iraq’s lifeline today, given his influence in the Shiite-majority country (few recognize that he is still an Iranian national; he has resided in the Iraqi city of Najaf since 1951). Any news about his ill health sends shudders across the country and among Iraq’s well-wishers in the region and around the world. Notably, both U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted about their relief and well wishes for the 89-year-old al-Sistani after he underwent a risky but successful surgery for a fractured thigh bone recently. These expressions of good will came even though Tehran and Washington were aware of al-Sistani’s earlier condemnation of both countries’ recent strikes in Iraq.
Al-Sistani’s Appeal
Meeting al-Sistani in Najaf a few years ago was as inspiring as it was intriguing. Simple, straightforward and always to the point, al-Sistani’s discourse was highly instructive. After hearing my views on Middle East geopolitics, he calmly commented, “I neither agree nor disagree with your position.” I was left both curious about his views and in awe of his enigmatic persona. On my request for guidance in my research work on political history of Islam, all he said was, “A true scholar must avoid presenting his opinions as facts.”
It’s no surprise that al-Sistani’s patience and wisdom are widely seen as Iraq’s lifeline today, given his influence in the Shiite-majority country (few recognize that he is still an Iranian national; he has resided in the Iraqi city of Najaf since 1951). Any news about his ill health sends shudders across the country and among Iraq’s well-wishers in the region and around the world. Notably, both U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted about their relief and well wishes for the 89-year-old al-Sistani after he underwent a risky but successful surgery for a fractured thigh bone recently. These expressions of good will came even though Tehran and Washington were aware of al-Sistani’s earlier condemnation of both countries’ recent strikes in Iraq.
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