Ayad Jamal Aldin to speak to Henry Jackson Society in London on Monday, December 14, 2009
Saturday, 12 December 2009 06:54
Ayad Jamal Al-Din
Member of the Iraqi Parliament and Noted Shia Theologian
12:30-1:30pm, Monday 14th December 2009
Committee Room 17, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
To attend, please RSVP to davis.lewin@
With the date for the Iraqi elections now finally set for the 7th of March, a constitutional crisis was narrowly avoided and the first elections in the country since 2005 will mark an important point in the struggle over Iraq's future. Though the Iraqi people have shown immense courage and resilience, severe tests lie on the road ahead. Not only are basic needs such as clean water and electricity still not adequately addressed, the political realities among the constituent groups in the new Iraq also remain extremely challenging. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates just yesterday urged Iraq's political groups to settle their differences and to form an inclusive government quickly after a March vote. His visit comes in the wake of brutal attacks claimed by Al Qaeda, killing 127 in Baghdad and injuring more than 500, yet the Obama administration remains resolute in its timetable to end combat operations by September 2010 and complete its pullout by the end of 2011.
Few people are better placed to comment on these challenges than Ayad Jamal Al-Din, a young, Shia cleric and Member of Parliament, best known for his consistent campaigning for a new, secular and prosperous Iraq. Al-Din does not advocate a secular state in order to reduce the role of God in citizen's lives; he wants to liberate religion from the state. He wants to see an end to the political sectarianism that puts Kurd against Shia and Turkmen against Sunni, believing that “Iraqis have a shared history, and a shared destiny”. He has consistently argued that freedom, tolerance and security walk hand-in-hand, and wants to see an end to the corruption that has seen politicians subvert religion to their own needs and allowed outside interference to pollute Iraqi politics.
Ayad Jamal Al-Din's vision for a grassroots, inclusive party - men and women, rich and poor, from all denominations, for all Iraqis - and his desire to see a strong secular state emerge in Iraq, with an independent judiciary and the ability to defend its interests from external interference, has led him to found his own party - the Ahrar Party - after becoming disenchanted with his former ally Iyad Allawi's overtures to Iran. He is contesting the elections as the leader of this new party, continuing his long struggle for a united, tolerant and prosperous secular Iraq.
By kind invitation of Hugo Swire MP, the Henry Jackson Society is pleased to be able to invite you to a discussion with Ayad Jamal Al-Din, Noted Shia Theologian and Member of the Iraqi Parliament. Al-Din will offer some brief remarks on the internal and external challenges for Iraq - in particular in the run-up to the election - before participating in a discussion on the future of Iraq. He is a most insightful, well-informed and refreshing speaker on this topic of great consequence, making this a unique opportunity of highest value to those interested in the region.
TIME: 12:30-1:30pm
VENUE: Committee Room 17, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
To attend, please RSVP to davis.lewin@
Ayad Jamal Al-Din is a young, Shia cleric, best known for his consistent campaigning for a new, secular Iraq. He first rose to prominence at the Nasiriyah conference in March 2003, shortly before the fall of Saddam, where he called for a state free of religion, the turban and other theological symbols. In 2005, he was elected as one of the 25 MPs on the Iraqi National List, but withdrew in 2009 after becoming disenchanted with Iyad Allawi’s overtures to Iran. He wants complete independence from Iranian interference in Iraq, and inclusive government free from Sectarianism. He now leads the Ahrar party for the 2010 election to the Council of Representatives, to clean up corruption and create a strong, secure and liberated Iraq for the future.
Ayad Jamal Aldin was born in Najaf in 1961 which remains home for most of his family. His uncle was the famous poet Sayed Mustafa Jamal Aldin. Although he eventually trained as a cleric, he was brought up in an environment where science, culture, poetry and religion were studied hand-in-hand. That is where he developed his belief that our problems are ‘human problems first’, and not Sunni or Turkmen or Kurd problems.
His newly formed Ahrar Party campaigns for transparency, not corruption. For freedom, tolerance and respect. For drinkable water, electricity and jobs for everyone and the rebuilding of his shattered country.