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Dr. Marsin Alshamary welcomed the Boisi Center and friends back from winter break with an enriching luncheon colloquium titled, 鈥淎 Century of the Iraqi Hawza: How Clerics Shaped Protests and Politics in Modern Day Iraq.鈥� Alshamary shared background information for guests less familiar with the topic and her fieldwork: Hawza refers to the institutions where Shi鈥檃 Muslims religious leaders are trained. She described the way in which these institutions have influenced the social and political fabric of Iraqi society. She also described recent conflicts related to religiously-influenced large militia groups that arose in response to ISIS.

Alshamary moved on from introductions to paint an elaborate picture of Hawza presence and influence, both in actuality and its wrongful perception. She gathered data about this influence during her fieldwork, in which she spoke with political protesters, civilians in Iran, and the Shi鈥檃 religious hierarchies. She described the Hawza as a space of informal learning that influenced politics, as it formed religious leaders who often have both direct and indirect forms of political influence over their communities. Alshamary emphasized that the sermons given by Shi鈥檃 religious leaders often acted as engines of political movement, although leaders were not intending to speak in support of political protests. Shi鈥檃 clerics view their role as, first and foremost, protectors of religious establishments and embodiments of institutional responsibility.

Alshamary鈥檚 presentation was met with a fruitful discussion that looked at American journalism鈥檚 (often-incorrect) perception of Shi鈥檃 clerics, Iraqi public opinion, the ethnic makeup of the Hawza, and the influence and reach of Hawza teachings outside of Iraq. Alshamary's insightful presentation shed light on the complex dynamics of the Iraqi Hawza, underscoring their frequently misconstrued role in shaping protests and politics.