Efforts to Impose Sharia Law Spark Controversy

Shammari contended that those opposed to the proposed Iraqi law are simply against the “Islamist thesis,” but following the announcement of the draft law, the Shiite cleric Sayyed Hussein al-Sadr issued a fatwa declaring that it is better for the state to adopt legislation regarding civil laws that are compliant with international conventions and to leave issues of Sharia to clerics to decide. He asserted that the people should confer with religious authorities, not the government, when it comes to matters involving Sharia.

To learn what Najaf clerics think about the draft law, Al-Monitor interviewed a jurist close to the grand ayatollahs of the holy city. He asserted, “We wanted Iraq to be a civilian and civilized state, and we expect religion to be eliminated from national identity cards in order to make religion a personal matter that people approach based on their convictions rather than legal obligation. It seems, however, that the religious parties are moving us toward both a sect- and clan-based culture.”

The silence of the Najaf clerics and their spokespeople on this subject contrasts with their opinions on the provision of services, security and national reconciliation. Spokesmen for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Najaf’s highest-ranking cleric, have repeatedly declared, along the lines of the jurist's observation, that religious authorities want a civil state for Iraq, not a religious one.

Some have been highly critical of the draft law. Critics claim that the law represents an attempt to exploit the boiling sectarian atmosphere and distract from the failures of political parties in order to attract votes. It has been noted that Shammari has had to face down harsh criticism and calls for his resignation after hundreds of al-Qaeda affiliates escaped from the Abu Ghraib and Taji prisons during July 21–22.