“The new Shi’a”? A study of the writings of Ahmad al-Katib

Ahmad al-Katib is an Iraqi Shii dissident intellectual and an interesting voice in the religious, intellectual, social and political discourse of the Shiite world today. He is a fairly well-known figure in Shiite circles but is virtually unknown to western academic research. This paper examines al-Katib’s life and writings and attempts to understand how a devout Shii came to question the axioms upon which he was educated and raised. The doctrine of the Rule of the Jurisprudent is discussed, the criticism of it reviewed and al-Katib’s claims for it are evaluated. The ecumenical dialogue between Shia and Sunna in al-Katib’s writings is discussed and the theoretical and practical aspects of his approach are reviewed. This will be followed by a discussion of al-Katib’s “Shi’ite Manifesto”, and an examination of the problems in al-Katib’s thought.