In an act not seen since 2003, an Iraqi politician has criticized the Shiite religious authority in Najaf, accusing it of seeking to dominate the state. The criticism triggered a strong reaction in political and cultural circles, even more harsh than in the religious ones.
The politician in question is State of Law coalition MP Izzat al-Shahbandar, who used to be close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Before that, Shabandar was an MP in the rival Iraqiya coalition. He then switched to the prime minister’s coalition, but lost in the last parliamentary elections. When Maliki became prime minister, he gave his parliamentary seat to Shahbandar.