Historical Analysis of the Political in Husseini Discourse with Emphasis on the Arbaeen Walking Ritual

Sherafat, Naeem; Farhadi, Ruhollah

Volume 14, Issue 4 (Political researches of the Islamic world, winter 2024) پژوهشهاي سياسي جهان اسلام 2024, 14(4): 93-120 | Back to browse issues page

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Sherafat N, Farhadi R. Historical Analysis of the Political in Husseini Discourse with Emphasis on the Arbaeen Walking Ritual. پژوهشهاي سياسي جهان اسلام 2024; 14 (4) :93-120
URL: http://priw.ir/article-1-2016-en.html

Historical Analysis of the Political in Husseini Discourse with Emphasis on the Arbaeen Walking Ritual

Naeem Sherafat¹

, Ruhollah Farhadi ^*²

1- Assistant Professor, Department of History and Civilization of Islamic Nations, Faculty of Islamic Sciences and Research, Imam Khomeini International University,iran
2- Assistant Professor of Political Science, Secretariat of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, Tehran, Iran (responsible Author) , r.farhadi@sccr.ir

Abstract: (22 Views)

The Arbaeen pilgrimage of Imam Hussein, as one of the most significant manifestations of the Husseinite discourse, has, in contemporary Iraqi history, functioned beyond a mere religious ritual and played an active role in the social organization and political mobilization of Shiites. The main objective of this study is to explain how the Arbaeen ritual becomes a "political act" and to examine its discursive capacities in confronting rival hegemonic discourses. Using Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis framework and a descriptive-analytical approach, this research investigates the elements, nodal points, and the articulation logic of the Husseinite discourse within the Arbaeen pilgrimage. Data were collected and analyzed through documentary research and historical analysis of two key events: the 1920 Iraqi Revolution and the 1977 Safar Intifada. Findings indicate that, during these periods, the Arbaeen ritual, by producing chains of identity, protest, and emancipatory signification, contributed to the reproduction of Shiite social power and the shaping of collective political action against colonial and Ba‘athist discourses. Based on the results, the Arbaeen pilgrimage demonstrates a durable capacity to function as an effective discursive mechanism in social organization and political resistance, and can serve as a meaningful resource for policymakers and activists confronting contemporary discursive challenges.

Keywords: Husseinite discourse, Arbaeen pilgrimage, Laclau and Mouffe discourse analysis, 1920 Iraqi Revolution, 1977 Iraqi Intifada

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Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/08/2 | Accepted: 2024/12/18 | Published: 2024/12/21