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Shi'i Sectarianism in the Middle East

Modernisation and the Quest for Islamic Universalism

By (author) Elisheva Machlis
Genres: Islam
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, United Kingdom
Imprint: I.B. Tauris
Published: 17th Sep 2014
Dimensions: w 143mm h 225mm d 29mm
Weight: 555g
ISBN-10: 178076720X
ISBN-13: 9781780767208
Barcode No: 9781780767208
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Synopsis
The eruption of violent sectarianism in Iraq following the US invasion in 2003 brought the question of Sunni-Shi'i relations in the country to the forefront of the international public agenda. It also strengthened the popular belief that contemporary Shi'ism is inherently sectarian. Yet several decades earlier, Ayatollah Khomeini had declared an Islamic revolution and downplayed its Shi'i origins and links. So what is the true orientation of Shi'i Islam in the contemporary era and how did modernisation alter its sectarian affiliation? This book contends that early Shi'i reformist thought set the foundations for a more universal-oriented Shi'ism. Prominent reformists in the first half of the twentieth century from the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf in Iraq and from the Shi'i centres in Southern Lebanon played a significant role in the renewal of Shi'ism and laid the groundwork for its reinvention in the modern era. Exploring this shift towards a more ecumenical perception of Islam, Elisheva Machlis here provides a fresh perspective on inter-sectarian relations in contemporary Iraq and illuminates the intellectual roots of the Islamic revolution, by examining networks of Shi'i scholars such as Mu?ammad ?usayn K?shif al-Ghi??' and Mu?sin al-Am?n al-'?mil?, operating within a more globalised Muslim world. Drawing on the experiences of early Shi'i reformists, such as 'Abd al-?usayn Sharaf al-D?n al-M?saw? in Lebanon and Mu?ammad Jaw?d Mughniyya in Damascus, this book gives new insight on the future of inter-Muslim relations at a time of growing inter-sectarian contention, from the Iran-Iraq war to the post-2003 Sunni-Shi'i conflict in Iraq and al-Qa'ida's anti-Shi'i message, taking into account questions of theology, historiography, jurisprudence and politics which all played a vital role in the transition to the contemporary era. The author here analyses the broad scholarly connections between Iran, Iraq and Lebanon in the twentieth century, while debating paramount questions of leadership, identity and group membership in the development of modern Shi'ism. Examining the relationship between intellectual thought and socio-political development in the region, this book provides a new perspective concerning the future of an increasingly globalised Muslim world and will prove essential reading for students and specialists.

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"Eisheva Machlis offers new and refreshing insights to Shii politics and intellectual activity in Iraq and Lebanon since World War One. In examining hitherto untapped sources, she skillfully analyzes how leading Shii scholars and political activists strove to break the boundaries of sectarianism and formulate broader Islamic universalism as well as harmonize modernity and science with religion. Machlis also sheds a new light on the links between these early reformist ideas and the universal Islamic message of the 1979 Iranian revolution. The book, which offers its readers with a rich and vibrant texture of Shii societies and thought, is essential to anyone interested in the history of Shiism, of Islam and of the history of Iraq and Lebanon." Meir Litvak, Director, the Alliance Center for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel "Elisheva Machlis is to be thanked for a meticulous and fascinating examination of the thought of Shii clerics in Iraq and in Lebanon as they came to terms with modernity in the 20th century. She demonstrates convincingly that these experiences stimulated reformist and activist thought, generating ideas hitherto unfamiliar in clerical circles. In the present century when sectarian division is so much part of the landscape in the region, it is encouraging to study the example of these Shii clerics who were open not only to nationalism and anti-colonialism, but also to a truly ecumenical project within the Muslim community, aiming to bridge the divide between Sunni and Shii Islam." Charles Tripp, SOAS, University of London, UK