فصلنامه بین المللی ژئوپلیتیک

فصلنامه بین المللی ژئوپلیتیک

From Fatwa to Formalization: The Legal and Ethical Challenges of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان
1 University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia:
2 University Kebangsaan , Malaysia.
3 College of Law, Al-Bayan University, Iraq.
4 The École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France.
10.22034/igq.2025.547916.2090
چکیده
This paper examines the complex legal and ethical dimensions surrounding the 2014 fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urging Iraqi citizens to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  This religious edict triggered the formation of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a powerful and controversial coalition of Shia militias. While officially integrated into the Iraqi security forces, the PMF’s actions and loyalties have been subject to ongoing debate, raising questions about their compliance with Iraqi law and international human rights standards.  The study analyzes the fatwa's compatibility with international humanitarian law and human rights principles, examining the religious authority's directives on the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war. It traces the legislative process that formally integrated the PMF into the Iraqi armed forces and assesses whether this legal framework adequately addresses the challenges posed by the PMF's diverse composition and history.  Furthermore, the paper examines the ongoing role of religious authority in influencing the PMF's conduct and integration into the state’s security apparatus, highlighting the intricate interplay between religious authority, military force, and the rule of law in a conflict-ridden environment. The analysis concludes by offering a nuanced assessment of the legal and ethical implications of the fatwa and the subsequent actions of the PMF, arguing that while isolated incidents of abuse occurred, the religious authority's guidelines actively worked against the establishment of systematic human rights violations.
کلیدواژه‌ها

موضوعات


عنوان مقاله English

From Fatwa to Formalization: The Legal and Ethical Challenges of the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq

نویسندگان English

Abbas Anbori 1
Andika Bin Ab.Wahab 2
Muatasem Kareem Abd-alnabi 3
Robin Beaumon 4
1 University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia:
2 University Kebangsaan , Malaysia.
3 College of Law, Al-Bayan University, Iraq.
4 The École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France.
چکیده English

This paper examines the complex legal and ethical dimensions surrounding the 2014 fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urging Iraqi citizens to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  This religious edict triggered the formation of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a powerful and controversial coalition of Shia militias. While officially integrated into the Iraqi security forces, the PMF’s actions and loyalties have been subject to ongoing debate, raising questions about their compliance with Iraqi law and international human rights standards.  The study analyzes the fatwa's compatibility with international humanitarian law and human rights principles, examining the religious authority's directives on the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war. It traces the legislative process that formally integrated the PMF into the Iraqi armed forces and assesses whether this legal framework adequately addresses the challenges posed by the PMF's diverse composition and history.  Furthermore, the paper examines the ongoing role of religious authority in influencing the PMF's conduct and integration into the state’s security apparatus, highlighting the intricate interplay between religious authority, military force, and the rule of law in a conflict-ridden environment. The analysis concludes by offering a nuanced assessment of the legal and ethical implications of the fatwa and the subsequent actions of the PMF, arguing that while isolated incidents of abuse occurred, the religious authority's guidelines actively worked against the establishment of systematic human rights violations.

کلیدواژه‌ها English

Fatwa
Popular Mobilization Forces
Sufficient Jihad
1.       Abdullah, R.K; Daud, S; Abadi, A.M; Althabhawi, N; Khadim, M.M. (2025). The Disruptive Effects of ISIS on International Trade in Iraq and Syria: An Analysis of Economic and Political Consequences. Geopolitics Quarterly, 21(2), 171-190.
2.       Abdul Hussein, Y. (2015). AL-harab Al-alamiah Al-thalitha, Daesh WA Idaratil Tawahush [World War III: ISIS, Iraq, and the Management of Savagery]. Publishing and Distribution Company. [In Arabic]
3.       Alishahi, A.R; Tajik, H; Forozan, Y. (2017). The reasons of the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan Based on William Bullitt Domino Theory. Geopolitics Quarterly, 13(45), 173-195.
4.       Al-Sadr, M.B. (2001). Al-Fatawa al-Wadhihah [Clear ruling]. Reserch and studies centre.
5.       Althabhawi, N.M; Zainol, Z.A. (2014). The patent legal system in Iraq: The path to efficiency of its statutes. World Patent Information, 36, 32-35.
6.       Alzurfi, A. (2015). Heroism of Poplurlar Mobilzation. Akeel Almula. https://aqeel-jumaa.com/archives/3156.
7.       Anbori, A; Al-Mumin, A; Ab Waha, A.B; Beaumont, R. (2024). Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq: Obedience to Law Dilemma. Geopolitics Quarterly, 20(Special Issue), 231-272.
8.       Eminence Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani. https://www.sistani.org/ arabic/archive/25034/.
9.       Barakat, A. (n.d.). Why Do We Imitate? How? And Whom? Al-Maarif Books.
10.   Bhojani, A.R; Clarke, M. (2023). Religious Authority beyond Domination and Discipline: Epistemic Authority and Its Vernacular Uses in the Shi’i Diaspora. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 65(2), 272–295. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0010417522000470.
11.   Decree 237, (2019). (Testimony of Iraqi Cabinet).
12.   Decree 328, (2019). (Testimony of Iraqi Cabinet).
13.   Decree 331, (2019). (Testimony of Iraqi Cabinet).
14.   Fibiger, T. (2015). Marjay iyyah from below: Anthropological approaches to the study of religious authority. Journal of Shi’a Islamic Studies, 8(4), 473–489. https://doi.org/10.1353/isl.2015.0038.
15.   Ismail, M.A. (2023). Islamic Laws According to the Fatwas of His Eminence al-Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani. The World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities.
16.   Kareem Abdullah, R; Daud, S. (2024). From Ideology to Impact: A Comparative Study of Al-Qaeda and ISIS Threats to Iraqi Social Peace. Geopolitics Quarterly, 20(4), 137-157.
17.   Khalaji, M. (2006). The Last Marjaʿ Sistani and the End of Traditional Religious Authority in Shiism. Politcy Focus, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 59(September), 52.
18.   Zakeri, M., & Haji Yousefi, A. M. (2024). Thick Recognition Failure and Terrorism Emergence in the Middle East (ISIS in Iraq as Case Study). Geopolitics Quarterly, 20(4), 50-77.
دوره 21، شماره ویژه
زمستان 1404
صفحه 224-238

  • تاریخ دریافت 05 مهر 1404
  • تاریخ بازنگری 19 مهر 1404
  • تاریخ پذیرش 24 مهر 1404