The very important political events have been living in Iraq since one week. Sadr supporters which invaded Baghdad streets and Parliament Building, burn flags of the United States and shout slogan “Iran out, out”. Mahdi Army that leaded by Moqtada As-Sadr, was the largest Shiite group which opposed the occupation of Iraq by the United States. Now, this group also is opposing to Iran’s political and military hegemony over Iraq.
Moqtada As-Sadr is a member of educated and well-established Lebanese Shiite family. His father Ayatollah Mohammad Sadik As-Sadr and two brothers were killed on Saddam’s order in 1999. The more importantly, he is son in law of Mohammad Baqir As-Sadr who was the real founder of the Shiite Islamic political thought in the world.
When the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power, he was defending the Velayat Faqiye Theory that a fair scholar is the head of Islamic State on behalf of the Shiite Imams. The most important work that describes and supports this theory, was explained by Mohammad Baqir As-Sadr who was executed by Saddam in 1980. He wrote an article about this subject under the title of “Lamha Tamhidiyya an Mashrui’d Dasturi’l Cumhuriyyati’l Islamiyya” in February 1979. This article defends that political and religious leaderships are unity. The theory of Velayat Faqiye became a provision of the new Iranian constitution and Khomeini was accepted as the first Velayat Faqiye of Iranian Islamic Revolution. According to Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, “Islamic Government is founded on a basis of “religious guardianship” (Velayat Faqiye).”
According to the 110th article of the constitution, following are the duties and powers of the Velayat Faqiye: “The Delineation of the general policies; The appointment, dismissal and acceptance of resignation of the Fuqaha on the Guardian Council, the supreme judicial authority of the country, the head of the radio and television network, the chief of the joint staff, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, the supreme commanders of the armed forces and the Dismissal of the’ President of the Republic.” Also Velaya Faqih also has billions of dollars of funds to use in national and international areas.
In today’s conditions, an expectation of a change in Iran, in the short and long term is unrealistic. On the other hand, the dominant Persian nationalism which is effective on Iran’s regional policies, is weakening on Arab Shiite World.
The another important feature of Moqtada As-Sadr is that he preserves Turkoman Shiite Cities and Turkoman Shiite Communities which are two-thirds of Turkoman people in Iraq. The strengthening of Sadr, on the one hand can burn a glimmer of hope for ending the conflicts between Sunni and Shiite Groups and the other hand can end the domination of the Persian Shiism in de Middle East.
