Making sense of sectarianism without sects: Quietist Salafi anti-Shia discourse in Jordan

Abstract

Salafis do not view Shias very favourably. In general, this has to do with their ideological objections to Shias' beliefs and, perhaps secondarily, the political conflicts with Shia powers like Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hizballah (Haykel, 2010;Steinberg, 2009). Given the fact that Jordan has virtually no Shias, the kingdom may differ from other countries in that the sectarian issue is less urgent there. Yet Jordanian Salafis also use sectarianism to vilify other Sunnis in a competition for their own regime's favour.This article shows that Jordanian Salafis contribute to the sectarianization of the kingdom with their own anti-Shiism by relying on a discourse in which anti-Shia ideological and political arguments and intra-Sunni polemics are inextricably mixed. It first deals with the Jordanian regime's stance on Shias and its relationship with Salafis. The article then analyses what some prominent Jordanian Salafi scholars have said about Shias and how they have used this to curry favour with the regime, at the expense of other Sunnis. The Jordanian contextThe regime's view of Shias Views of Shias in Jordan were strongly influenced by the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. Yet negative perceptions of Shias held by King Husayn (r. 1953-1999), who ruled Jordan at the time, seem to have emanated more from his opposition to the new Iranian regime than from anti-Shia feelings. In order to keep out Iranian influence, Jordan began promoting a 'moderate ' and 'official' Islam (Robbins & Rubin, 2013). This was the reason several Islamic institutes were founded, including the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, established in 1980. This institute aims to bring together all Muslimsincluding Shiasand has also been used to counter the discourse of militant groups like al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State (IS) with a 'moderate' message, a campaign that especially King 'Abdallah II (r. 1999-) has been in the forefront of (Minzili, 2007).

Sectarianism in a Non-Sectarian State. (c2020)

“…From raids by security services on Shiite gathering spots to military trials for those accused of spreading Shiism, this thesis, will explore sectarianism in a non-sectarian state. This thesis, then, is part of a new literature that looks at sectarianism in paradoxically non-sectarian contexts (Wagemakers, 2020).…”

“…Particularly with the rise of Jihadism in the Salafi community, the regime remains suspicious of Qui-! etists because of their fundamentalist views, even though they claim to make distinctions between the two groups (Wagemakers, 2020). Their tendency to latch on to any opportunity or means to express their loyalty towards the regime is shaped by the vulnerable position that the Quietist community is in within the state.…”

“…Shehadeh argues that his group is an asset and an important player in the fabric of the Jordanian community, asserting that their participation in the democratic process is possible should the state welcome them as active participants in society. 35 4.2.2.2 The Utilization of Anti-Shiism in Intra-Sunni Competition over the Regime's Favour Not only is sectarianism a means of self-preservation for Jordan's Quietist Salafi community, it is also used "to vilify other Sunnis in a competition for their own regime's favour" (Wagemakers, 2020). Prominent quietist leader Ali al-Halabi, for instance, uses sectarianism to portray the Sufi sect in Jordan as disloyal and untrustworthy.…”

“…Al-Halabi argues that the Sufis are unreliable and dangerous because they did not assist King Abdullah in his efforts to counter radicalism. He proceeds to frame this supposed unreliability as a product of shared ideological links between Sufis and the Shia, the latter being a group that the Jordanian state expressed great wariness of (Wagemakers, 2020).…”

“…ofArdovini (2016) who examines sectarianism in Egypt, andWagemakers (2020), who, building on his research in 2016, looks at the sectarianism of Jordan's Quietist-Salafi community.…”