مرجعيت و سياست در عراق پس از اشغال؛ با تأكيد بر انديشه آيت الله سيستاني

Marjaʹiyya and politics in Iraq: With an emphasis on Ayatollah Sistaniʹs thoughts

The present paper is a study of the role of Marjaʹiyya in political developments in todayʹs Iraq and its interaction with the socio-political structures in the country. The writer considers Marjaʹiyya as an influential factor and a dynamic actor in history of Iraqʹs political life and studies the phenomenon based on structure-agency framework. In addition, using critical realism to analyze Iraqʹs political development and the relationship an1011g the agent, Marjas, and Iraqʹs internal and foreign relationships gives us a dynamic understanding and does not allow us to prioritize one of the two factors of structure or agency over the other in this dialectical relationship. The collapse of the Baʹath regime in 2003 provided the opportunity for the Shiites to take over power due to their population majority, despite their deprivation from participation during the Baʹath partyʹs ruling. As a result of the Shiitesʹ taking over political power, Marjas such as Ayatollah Sistani gained more power.