Shi’a of Samarra

Imranali Panjwani is a Tutor and PhD candidate in the Theology and Religious Studies faculty at King's College London. Educated at the University of Sheffield, The College of Law and Al-Mahdi Institute in Birmingham, he has worked for the Centre for Islamic Shi'a Studies in London as its Research Co-ordinator.

• Foreword by Charles TrippIntroductionPart I: History of the Shrine and City in SamarraChapter 1: Samarra: Shi’i Heritage and CultureChapter 2: The Samarra Shrine in its Historical ContextChapter 3: History of the al-Askariyya ShrinePart II: The Life and Legacy of Religious and Scholarly Figures in Samarra HistoryChapter 4: Visiting the Life of Imam Al-Hadi and Imam Hasan Al-AskariChapter 5: The Legacy of Mirza Shirazi in SamarraChapter 6: Amili Perspectives on the Scholarship of Samarra and NajafPart III: Samarra in wider Iraqi Discourse: Sectarianism, Politics and CitizenshipChapter 7: Sectarianism in recent Iraqi HistoryChapter 8: Sectarian Co-existence in IraqChapter 9: Shi’i Islamism in IraqChapter 10: Thinking about Citizenship and Identity

'During the rule of Saddam Husayn's Ba'th Party, studies of Iraq's Shi'a community, whether historical or contemporary, were few and far between. In The Shi'a of Samarra: The Heritage and Politics of a Community in Iraq, Imranali Panjwani has addressed this problem in compiling an impressive group of essays on the history, religious significance and politics of a city that is central to Shi'ism. Rather than viewing Samarra as a site of sectarian conflict and political decay, the volume's contributors offer much hope for the future of Iraq. In an exceptionally creative manner, this volume uses the notions of place and geographical space to demonstrate Samarra's great contributions of Samarra not only to Shi'i scholarship, but the manner in which its heritage has enriched all Iraqis. This collection is must reading for all scholars of Iraq, whatever their disciplinary specialization.' - Eric Davis, Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University, 'The authors and compiler of this volume are to be thanked for placing Samarra in its true historical focus, bringing an appreciation of the ways in which the city and its monuments resonated through the history of the region.' - Charles R. H. Tripp, Professor of Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London