Kazem al-Haeri
Encyclopedia
Grand Ayatollah
Kazem Husseini Haeri is a prominent Twelver Shi'a marja
. Haeri was born in Iran, but moved to Iraq to lead the Twelver Shi'a community there. He was a top leader of the Al-Da'wa Party in Iraq. His involvement in the party led to his exile in the 1970s, when he moved to Iran, where he remains to this day in the holy city of Qom
.
and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim signed a pact to end all potential hostilities between the two camps.
Haeri has also issued fatwa
s against the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, but he publicly criticized Muqtada al-Sadr for launching an insurrection against the Shi'a establishment and its hierarchy in Najaf under the guise of anti-Americanism in April 2004 while taking Haeri's name.
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Kazem Husseini Haeri is a prominent Twelver Shi'a marja
Marja
Marja , also known as a marja-i taqlid or marja dini , literally means "Source to Imitate/Follow" or "Religious Reference"...
. Haeri was born in Iran, but moved to Iraq to lead the Twelver Shi'a community there. He was a top leader of the Al-Da'wa Party in Iraq. His involvement in the party led to his exile in the 1970s, when he moved to Iran, where he remains to this day in the holy city of Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
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Relationship with Muqtada Al-Sadr
Haeri is considered the successor to the uncle of Muqtada al-Sadr, but since Haeri has resided in Iran since the 1970s he has not been able to fully take on this position. Despite his exile, he serves as the advisor to the younger al-Sadr on matters of jurisprudence. Thus, Haeri is a key source of legitimacy for Al-Sadr. Al-Sadr had previously stated that he would have worked with Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim if Ayatollah Haeri had ordered it. Recently, Muqtada al-SadrMuqtada al-Sadr
Sayyid Muqtadā al-Ṣadr is an Iraqi Islamic political leader.Along with Ali al-Sistani and Ammar al-Hakim of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sadr is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country not holding any official title in the Iraqi government.-Titles:He is...
and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim signed a pact to end all potential hostilities between the two camps.
Haeri has also issued fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
s against the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, but he publicly criticized Muqtada al-Sadr for launching an insurrection against the Shi'a establishment and its hierarchy in Najaf under the guise of anti-Americanism in April 2004 while taking Haeri's name.