The Iraqi government has been facing huge challenges with the outburst of a public protests on Aug. 31 in several Iraqi cities. Consequently, the government had to take strict security measures to contain the movements, thus leading to the use of unjustified violence in Nasiriyah, Baghdad and other cities. These protests are considered the largest of their kind, compared to the 2010, 2011 and 2012 protests, which were subject to governmental crackdowns that left scores dead and wounded. The Najaf authorities had previously asked the government to respond to the public demands regarding the provision of services and security and the deterrence of general corruption in governmental institutions.

In previous protests and in the latest one as well, the Iraqi government resorted to religious authorities to issue fatwas that forbade participation in protests, under the pretext of tough conditions in the region and in Iraq specifically.

However, Najaf’s four authorities rejected this demand and criticized the government. The latter had previously succeeded in obtaining fatwas from figures close to Iran, including Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi al-Asefi, the official representative of Khaminei in Iraq, and Muhammad Kazem al-Haeri, who is close to the Iranian leadership. Both issued fatwas warning people not to take to the streets, thus stirring even more distress.

The government made yet another attempt, when it sent a special delegation including prominent figures in the Islamic Dawa Party and the government, like Sheikh Abdel Halim Zuheiri, special adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, and Tareq Najem, former director of the prime minister’s office. A source close to the office of Muhammad Said al-Hakim told Al-Monitor that the latter received the delegation after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani refused — a sign of anger toward the government’s constant failure and massive corruption.