The Sadrist Religious Social Movement at the Local Network Level: Appropriation of Shiite Practices and Political Uses.

We propose to analyze the Sadrist movement in Iraq as a pivotal social-religious movement. By focusing on the strategic utilization of Shiite rituals and practices, the Sadrist movement has effectively cultivated a loyal base of supporters, fostering a deep sense of community and belonging among its followers. The paper highlights the extensive network of social and religious structures associated with the Sadrist trend, which not only disseminates "Sadrist thought"[1]— a distinct political orientation, lifestyle, and interpretation of Shiite Islam— but also enhances the movement's grassroots mobilization efforts. This social religious movement is constituted of many types of structures such as hospitals, schools, caritatives associations, mosques, etc... All of these structures, whether direct or indirect, participate to strengthen and organize the Sadrist movement and its supporters, who are therefore socialized and politicized through Sadrist religious and social frameworks.

Central to this analysis are the leadership dynamics of the late Muhammad al-Sadr and his son Muqtada al-Sadr, who are perceived as "overall leaders" capable of addressing the diverse challenges faced by their followers. Their charismatic authority and responsiveness to local issues have enabled the Sadrist current to engage massively at the local level, distinguishing it from other Iraqi movements. This local presence allows the Sadrist movement to have significant points of influence and effective mobilization when the leader calls for it.

Through an exploration of the local structures of the sadrist movement and interviews with sadrist local leaders, this paper aims to illuminate the movement's approach to political activism, the integration of religious practices through a sadrist framework and its similarities with other religious social movements in the region.

[1] The 'Sadrist thought' (al-fakar al-sadri) is an expression used by intellectuals to refer to the political, religious, and social thought originating from Ayatollah Muhammad al-Sadr and his son