Clerical Developments and Politics in the Howzehs of Iraq and Iran

Date and time: Thursday, September 17, 2020, at 2 pm British Summer Time (UTC+1)

Register here.

Speakers:

• Marsin Alshamary, incoming post-doctoral fellow, Brookings
• Abbas Kadhim, director, Iraq Initiative and Resident Senior Fellow, Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council
• Mehdi Khalaji, Libitzky Family Fellow, The Washington Institute

Moderator: Sanam Vakil, deputy director and senior research fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House

Clerical developments in the seminaries of Iran and Iraq have long been a driver of bilateral collaboration and regional competition between Qom and Najaf.

In this webinar, part of MENA Programme Online Events Series, panelists will explore the religious and political dynamics, and assess the economic and political power of these institutions. Speakers will also discuss how the respective Iraqi and Iranian seminaries will be impacted by the politics of religious succession.