Shia Power Comes of Age: The Transformation of Islamist Politics in Iraq, 2003-2023

Shia politics roared to the center of power in Iraq after the U.S. invasion in 2003 after decades of marginalization under Saddam Hussein. A new generation of clerics and politicians, self-described as Shia Islamists, promised a revolution in law and governance.

The meaning of Shia Islamism today is murkier than ever. A confusing array of factions all wear the label, which does nothing to explain their positions on questions ranging from sectarianism to the role of faith in politics to any o...