The New Iraq: The Sistani Factor

Issue Date July 2005
Volume 16
Issue 3
Page Numbers 50-53
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For the Shi’ite majority and its senior religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, the January elections played out against the background of a longing for justice that has deep spiritual and historical sources as well as more recent sociopolitical roots.

Further Reading

Volume 16, Issue 1

Building Democracy After Conflict: Lessons from Iraq

The U.S.-led reconstruction effort has so far failed to establish democratic institutions in Iraq. But as troubled as that effort has been, it provides valuable lessons for future nation-building endeavors.

Volume 17, Issue 1

Getting to Arab Democracy: Dealing with Communalism

Whether ethnic, sectarian, or some combination of the two, communalsim is one of the massive realities of Middle Eastern life and politics. It is usually seen as an obstacle to…

Volume 16, Issue 3

The New Iraq: Democratic Institutions and Performance

Even after its successful elections, Iraq remains a divided society. Democracy did not create these divisions, but it could be the key to managing them.