On Iran, Shi’ism, Arab Nationalism, Theology, and Re-Engagement
“We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”
Jonathan Swift
“Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?" Priest: "No, not if you did not know." Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"” Annie Dillard
This man is being promoted by Saudi and their Persian Gulf satellite media as some sort of a Shi'a allama, a man of serious theological knowledge(and presumably some following). I had never heard of him until after the 2006 Israeli war with Hezbullah in Lebanon. But then again, I probably know less about these people than I know about Hip Hop. He was suddenly settled upon by someone in some desert palace as one possible Shi’a alternative to the Amal-Hezbullah alliance. Or maybe he settled upon himself to fill that role, a role that always exists in politics. Maybe he even believes it.
It is all fair politics; they all do it, the Iranians as well as the Saudis.
He allegedly heads a Lebanese Shi’a group (called a council) that is pro-March 14 (Hariri-Saniora-Saudi Arabia), which means he probably has the support of about twenty people, plus maybe his immediate family (maybe: Shi’as are not normally clannish or tribal), plus all the petro-money that he needs. He is apparently being sponsored by Saudi media worldwide, with interviews and regular columns trying to articulate an alternative to the “current” Shia schools of political thought, whatever they might be. There is no single such thing; Shi’as are like Jews in some ways, they argue among themselves and disagree, a novelty in an extremely conformist Arab world. Just look at Iraq and Iran. Besides, the real center of Shi’a theology and jurisprudence has always been in Najaf, Iraq, not Qom (or Tehran). Most Arab Shi’as consider Ali Khamenai as a leader of Iran, not of all the Shi’as. Come to think of it, many Iranians don’t consider him their leader either.
There are a few others, a handful such people who are being promoted around the Arab world, although so far there don’t seem to be many takers.
His main thrust seems to be Arab nationalist: disengage Arab Shi’as from Iranian theologians. Which is fine: it is a legitimate political point. Arabs are not Persians, and outside meddling in the affairs of others always backfires- except in Lebanon where the everybody seems to seek outside intervention and thrives on it.
But the problem then would be with re-engagement: how can you re-engage the Shi’as with a tribal petro-regime that persecutes them and considers them heretics? How do you get Shi’as to adopt an absolute polygamist monarchy as their ideal? That is the task that not all the petro-money in the world can buy help with- probably not.
Cheers
mhg
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