Writer’s view is personal, must not be considered editor’s

About Marji'ya and events in Iraq - Episode 2

By: Hassan Tabatabai

As for Sayed Baqir Al Hakim, he was one of the active scholars in the 60s at the time of the Marjiiya of his father Ayatullah Sayed Muhsen Al Hakim, and he was the right hand for martyr Sayed Muhammed Baqir Al Sadr through out his life.

Because he was jailed in Iraq (in 1972 and again in 1978) and released, he fled Iraq to Syria around 1979/1980 and then he went to Iran to lead Iraqi oppositions from there by getting the support of the Iranian government who was also anti saddam and having a war with Iraq. In order to unite Iraqi oppositions, he established first, Jama'at Al ulama Al Mujahidin Fil Iraq, and then later on, he established the SCIRI which had about 70 members who represent most of the Islamic parties and groups in Iraqi opposition like Da'awa party, Al Amal Orgnization, Jund Al Imam, some independents in Iraqi oppositions, some Kurds and Turkumans and it was open for sunnis to join.

Because he was a well-known figure as a son of the marji of the shias for more than 2 decades and a colleague and student of Sayed Baqir Al Sadr, naturally his position was much higher than any other member in SCIRI. Some of the Da'awa members found that they couldn’t have proper position they want in Iraq with his presence in Iran that’s why many of them migrated to Europe and the U.S. Other members of Da'awa party are already with SCIRI because they think that it is a united body for the Islamic opposition in Iraq.

Though SCIRI is in Iran but they have their independent elections and system of running their affairs. The Iranian government gave them all facilities to be strong enough to topple saddam and that’s why they got tens of thousands of soldiers in "failaq badir". He did not go to any other country because he would not have such facilities in Syria or London or anywhere else.

Iran had around 400 000 Iraqi refugees in 1980s but because of weakness of the Iranian economy itself, the effect of 8 years war with saddam and having already another 2 million Afghani refugees all that have affected their economy severely, that’s why many Iraqis have suffered from their economical rules and regulations.

In most of the crisis faced Iraqis in Iran, Sayed Baqir Al Hakim had directly contacted the spiritual leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Al-Khamana'i to solve the issues. This is because of the difference between the Iranian Islamic revolution represented by Al-Khamana'i and the Iranian government represented by the president of the country (i.e Khatami in the mean time). In many case, the government rules and regulations would be tough and kindless to the foreigners and it would create problems for the declared objects and aims of the Islamic revolution in Iran.

The view of SCIRI in this war is that the U.S. and the UN should prevent saddam from using his heavy weapons (tanks, helicopters, missiles) against his people in accordance with united nation resolution 1441. If that is guaranteed then SCIRI and other Iraqi opposition groups would be able to make uprising to remove saddam without the need for the U.S. to come and lead the war. This was their main point of discussion in the meeting of Iraqi opposition 6 groups in the US and in their meeting in the UK. The U.S., due to its own interests, refused to accept this offer and decided to lead the war against saddam.

Here, the position of SCIRI became critical, if they will enter to topple saddam, it will be considered a support for the U.S. and if they do not enter, then the U.S. will be having full control of Iraq. However, due to the threat of the U.S. to SCIRI and its warning that Faylaq Badir should not enter Iraq, SCIRI leader decided to wait and see. However, we know that unofficially most of the soldiers of Faylaq Badir have already entered Iraq and they are trying their best to prepare the ground for a new democratic Iraqi government (that’s their claim at least) without American direct occupation. Sayed Muhammed Baqir Al Hakim has announced that he is going to go to Iraq in the near future.

To be continued…

Source:

http://www.aliraqi.org/forums/showthread.php?
s=&postid=146043&t=4913#post146043 

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•About Marji'ya and events in Iraq - Episode 1