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

Ahmad al-Katib is an Iraqi Shiʿi dissident intellectual and an interestingvoice in the religious, intellectual, social and political discourse of theShiʿite world today. He is a fairly well-known figure in Shiʿite circles butis virtually unknown to western academic research. This paper examinesal-Katib’s life and writings and attempts to understand how a devout Shiʿicame to question the axioms upon which he was educated and raised.The doctrine of the Rule of the Jurisprudent is discussed, the criticismof it reviewed and al-Katib’s claims for it are evaluated. The ecumenicaldialogue between Shiʿa and Sunna in al-Katib’s writings is discussed andthe theoretical and practical aspects of his approach are reviewed. Thiswill be followed by a discussion of al-Katib’s “Shi’ite Manifesto”, and anexamination of the problems in al-Katib’s thought.