Publication

This paper discusses the two prevailing interpretations of the political attitudes of the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the leading Shiite cleric in Iraq. The author argues that neither the traditional "quietist" paradigm nor the Machiavellian interpretations can satisfactorily explain Sistani’s actions. The paper offers an alternative interpretation, which highlights Sistani’s historical oscillation between passive and activist positions. The author suggests that, after an activist intermezzo from June 2003 to December 2004, Sistani reverted to a more secluded role, again showing an increasing reluctance to fulfil the wishes of his many wooers in Iraqi politics, and limiting his interference to matters directly connected with the Shiite faith and its institutions.