Hawza of Najaf

Under Saddam Hussein the Shi‟ites of Iraq lived a sad story; they were politically suppressed and killed in cold blood. After the creation of the Iraqi state they lived as if they were a minority without any rights. Perhaps the main responsible factor was the hawza - the Shi‟ite religious leadership - and its interpretation of religion and politics. Senior religious scholars in the hawza sought to isolate Shi‟ite from state affairs.