(Intro sequence)
(Textile Merchant) "We think of Sistani as our nuclear time-bomb."
(Shia militia fighter) "If Ayatollah Sistani declares jihad, there wouldn't be a single American left in Iraq."
(Carpenter) "If he were to call for jihad, I'd close my workshop, I'll bid by family farewell and I'll go to war."
In the soukhs, in the chai-shops; in internet cafes -- on the wall and online, there's an all-knowing presence. A face that's everywhere -- yet few have ever actually seen the Iranian-born Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
Of late there's been another highly visible face: that of the angry young rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia took on the might of the American army.
The two men offer contrasting visions of Shia Islam: Moqtada is militant, his supporters impatient. Sistani stands for the moderate majority. The success or failure of America's democracy project in Iraq hangs on the blessing of this old man, who hasn't stepped out of his house in six years and who doesn't give interviews.
SYNC
Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Shirazi
Sistani representative
"The only thing that people in Iraq can rely on right now is the presence of Grand Ayatollah Sistani. I am really repulsed by the way that the western and Arab media compare Mr Sistani to people who are just not of the same callibre. It's truly dreadful when you hear the media comparing Moqtada al-Sadr to Ayatollah Sistani. It's like comparing a turnip to a king."
The Americans recognise his importance, not as "king", but as king-maker. That's why, as the June 30th handover approaches, the Ayatollah's political significance is growing. Over the past year, the Americans have repeatedly sought a meeting with Sistani, but the US viceroy has never been granted an audience.
SYNC
L Paul Bremer III
Head, Coalition Provisional Authority
"The governing council is in discussions with the Grand Ayatollah for whom we have the greatest respect and it's probably best if we leave those discussions between the governing council and the Ayatollah."
Sistani is understood to have sent Paul Bremer a message: "You're American," he said, "I'm Iranian. Let's let the Iraqi people decide." It was a clever response. Clever, because Sistani knows the majority of the Iraqi pople will do exactly as he commands -- whatever that might be.
SYNC
Ghasem Aboudi
Shopkeeper
"At this stage we need silence and diplomacy, not fighting. Maybe, one day, Mr Sistani will declare jihad and we will become fighters but we hope that won't happen and that we'll be able to deal with the Americans through dialogue."
STING
This is what we do know about Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani:
He's the chosen leader of the vast majority of the world's 180-million Shia Muslims. They call him their "object of emulation." They follow his interpretation of the teachings of the Koran.
And they are obliged by Shia law to give him one-fifth of their disposable incomes. So his organisation has access to tens of millions of pounds.
Held under house arrest by Saddam Hussein, Ali Sistani communicated with his followers through a global network of representative offices. The most active are in Iran, where the Grand Ayatollah was born.
His representatives have become local celebrities.
SYNC
Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Shirazi
Sistani representative
"The Object of Emulation supervises and gives you orders regarding your daily religious affairs -- but when we say religious affairs, we don't just mean praying, pilgrimage and fasting. We mean EVERY aspect of human beings' lives."
From Jakarta to Moscow, Tibilisi to New York, Sistani "embassies" function as drop-in centres for his followers. This one's in Mashad, the Ayatollah's birthplace in northeastern Iran.
SYNC
Hujatolislam Mujahid
Sistani Representative Office
"We have 100 to 150 people coming in here every day. It's so busy we don't even get a lunch-break."
SUBTITLE
"My father's a labourer. He needs to pay one-fifth of his wage."
SUBTITLE:
"Can't he come in?"
SUBTITLE:
"No, he's too busy."
SUBTITLE
"It's better if he comes in himself so we can go over the figures in person."
This woman's here with her new boyfriend to sort out her divorce.
SUBTITLE
"Can you help me?"
SUBTITLE
"I can't help you, but that guy over there should be able to."
This man's trying to figure out how to divide his inheritance between Sistani and his children.
SUBTITLE
"I want to draw up a proper will to make sure things are sorted for my children."
The Sistani consultancy boasts a telephone hotline, open from nine am until sundown.
SUBTITLE:
"What's the problem?"
SUBTITLE:
"You're going on holiday? Say a few prayers."
Ayatollah Sistani's rep consults the Koran. The advice depends on which verse his eyes fall on.
SUBTITLE:
"Yes, hello? The omen is good."
SUBTITLE
"You're welcome. Good-bye."
Consulting God, as they call it, is fine if you're a local phonecall away -- but what if you're not? Millions of Shia are scattered across the world.
Sistani dot org offers advice on everyday, personal matters, from keeping dogs to playing chess. Under "S," there's screeds of guidance on sexual behaviour. Also under "S": suicide -- which, Sistani states, is not permitted under any circumstances: bombing included.
Sistani confounds all the stereotypes: he's a moderniser from Iran who's used the internet to extend his powerbase.
And -- another surprise: he's wooing the women of Iraq, religious and secular. Here in Baghdad, Sistani's organisation has funded one of the first religious schools to be opened specifically for Shia women. There's been a rush to enroll.
SYNC
Kameelah Shahir
Koranic Teacher
"Under Saddam, us women had to study religion and the Koran secretly in a mosque, but after the fall of the regime, we noticed that both teachers and students were really enthusiastic about studying Islam so we didn't have to do anything to attract women to come to classes here."
"Mr Sistani's last fatwa said that women should vote and should have a special quota in future parliamentary elections. That means they should occupy forty seats in the parliament. He looks at women as human beings and looks at their capabilities, not their gender. That is what the Holy Koran asks us to do as well."
We're at Baghdad's School of Fine Art. Some of the young female students here had been concerned that the rise of the clerics in post-Saddam Iraq would affect their personal freedoms.
SYNC
Fatimah 2
"Many women are forced to wear the veil because they are worried about their safety and getting raped. Under Saddam, there were no religious leaders and we were not scared."
SYNC
Fatimah 1
"In Saddam's time, we lived in a cage. Then we were released into the jungle. But we didn't know what to do in the jungle. We are scared of some of the religious leaders. At the beginning of this school year, I thought I should wear the veil. But I changed my mind."
SYNC
Fatimah 3
"Ayatollah Sistani understands us. He would like to preserve women's rights. He doesn't want Iraq to be another Iran."
The reverence Sistani commands in Iraq is so pervasive, it proves impossible to find anyone critical. The Ayatollah wields spiritual power but he's also the most politically inflential man in Iraq.
SOT
Rasam Fadhel
Retired trader
"We consider him The Great One in Iraq. He's the first and foremost object of emulation. We cannot deviate from what he asks us to do. He's a wonderful man. He loves peace and Islam."
In the cafes, all the talk is of politics, the trials of occupation and the transfer of power -- and, of course, Sistani's likely verdict.
SOT
Ghasem Aboudi
Shopkeeper
"If Sistani announces Jihad, we will force the occupiers out of the country. We will carry out suicide bombings and we will throw ourselves under their tanks. Jihad is one of the most important obligations we have in Islam. It's like fasting, prayers and paying one-fifth of your earnings."
But Sistani is no rabble-rouser. He kept silent under Saddam. He has also been silent over the degrading treatment of Iraqis by occupying forces.
Yet the Shia are a patient people and nothing will happen until Ayatollah Sistani says it's time.
SYNC
Jaffar al-Fatlawi
Shopkeeper
"You should follow your object of emulation in every situation."
Jaffar's devotion to Sistani is particularly breathtaking. This is a man who was tortured by Saddam and then detained for six months by American troops -- along with nine members of his family.
"The Americans beat us and uninated on us. They took pictures of us. They had a translator and two investigators. They had no mercy. One of them had an iron bar and he beat us with that. He treated us like animals and ordered me to kiss his shoes."
STING
But not all Shia as patient as Jaffar.
UPSOT (SUBTITLES)
These angry, unemployed, disenchanted young men are the supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr, the junior cleric who started the Shia uprising in March.
More UPSOT
It's Friday prayers in Kufa -- just down the road from the city of Najaf, Sistani's hometown and the hearthstone of Shia Islam. Moqtada is to give today's sermon.
UPSOT Bang bang
As we're filming, a firefight breaks out between Moqtada's militia and the Americans -- who've been trying and failing to evict Moqtada's forces from Iraq's holy cities.
UPSOT Bang bang
Moqtada al-Sadr and Ali Sistani are neighbours in Najaf; but they're miles apart politcally. The uprising was a warning shot of what can happen when the Shia of Iraq disregard the moderation and patience of Sistani.
The old Ayatollah's sought to calm the firey young cleric; he appealed to him -- and the Americans -- to keep their gunbattles away from these, the holiest Shia shrines.
Now, an uneasy truce is holding. But there's still sporadic rocket and mortar fire.
UPSOT boom
The city which has been Sistani's home for fifty years is a ghost town.
SYNC
Ali Hussein Majid
Najaf resident
"Ayatollah Sistani is trying his best to stop the bloodshed. He is asking both the Iraqis and the Americans to settle their arguments through peaceful means. Unfortunately neither of them listened to him. May God prolong Sistani's life, kill all his enemies and we condemn anyone who doesn't listen to our object of emulation."
While the outside world worries and wonders about the way forward now, for most Iraqi Shia, the answer is obvious. Failure to listen to the object of emulation will be a bad omen for Iraq's current occupiers and its next government.
As Iraqi soveriegnty beckons, Sistani's political stature just keeps on growing -- as does his spiritual authority as Iraq's moral compass. Whatever direction Iraq's future rulers take, their legitimacy will rest on Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani's seal of approval.
While the outside world frets about the way forward now, for most Iraqi Shia, the answer is obvious. Failure to listen to the object of emulation will be a bad omen. Ali Sistani's political stature is destined to grow -- as is his spiritual authority as Iraq's moral compass. Whatever direction Iraq's future leaders take, their legitimacy will rest on his seal of approval.
ENDS///
(Textile Merchant) "We think of Sistani as our nuclear time-bomb."
(Shia militia fighter) "If Ayatollah Sistani declares jihad, there wouldn't be a single American left in Iraq."
(Carpenter) "If he were to call for jihad, I'd close my workshop, I'll bid by family farewell and I'll go to war."
In the soukhs, in the chai-shops; in internet cafes -- on the wall and online, there's an all-knowing presence. A face that's everywhere -- yet few have ever actually seen the Iranian-born Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
Of late there's been another highly visible face: that of the angry young rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia took on the might of the American army.
The two men offer contrasting visions of Shia Islam: Moqtada is militant, his supporters impatient. Sistani stands for the moderate majority. The success or failure of America's democracy project in Iraq hangs on the blessing of this old man, who hasn't stepped out of his house in six years and who doesn't give interviews.
SYNC
Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Shirazi
Sistani representative
"The only thing that people in Iraq can rely on right now is the presence of Grand Ayatollah Sistani. I am really repulsed by the way that the western and Arab media compare Mr Sistani to people who are just not of the same callibre. It's truly dreadful when you hear the media comparing Moqtada al-Sadr to Ayatollah Sistani. It's like comparing a turnip to a king."
The Americans recognise his importance, not as "king", but as king-maker. That's why, as the June 30th handover approaches, the Ayatollah's political significance is growing. Over the past year, the Americans have repeatedly sought a meeting with Sistani, but the US viceroy has never been granted an audience.
SYNC
L Paul Bremer III
Head, Coalition Provisional Authority
"The governing council is in discussions with the Grand Ayatollah for whom we have the greatest respect and it's probably best if we leave those discussions between the governing council and the Ayatollah."
Sistani is understood to have sent Paul Bremer a message: "You're American," he said, "I'm Iranian. Let's let the Iraqi people decide." It was a clever response. Clever, because Sistani knows the majority of the Iraqi pople will do exactly as he commands -- whatever that might be.
SYNC
Ghasem Aboudi
Shopkeeper
"At this stage we need silence and diplomacy, not fighting. Maybe, one day, Mr Sistani will declare jihad and we will become fighters but we hope that won't happen and that we'll be able to deal with the Americans through dialogue."
STING
This is what we do know about Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani:
He's the chosen leader of the vast majority of the world's 180-million Shia Muslims. They call him their "object of emulation." They follow his interpretation of the teachings of the Koran.
And they are obliged by Shia law to give him one-fifth of their disposable incomes. So his organisation has access to tens of millions of pounds.
Held under house arrest by Saddam Hussein, Ali Sistani communicated with his followers through a global network of representative offices. The most active are in Iran, where the Grand Ayatollah was born.
His representatives have become local celebrities.
SYNC
Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Shirazi
Sistani representative
"The Object of Emulation supervises and gives you orders regarding your daily religious affairs -- but when we say religious affairs, we don't just mean praying, pilgrimage and fasting. We mean EVERY aspect of human beings' lives."
From Jakarta to Moscow, Tibilisi to New York, Sistani "embassies" function as drop-in centres for his followers. This one's in Mashad, the Ayatollah's birthplace in northeastern Iran.
SYNC
Hujatolislam Mujahid
Sistani Representative Office
"We have 100 to 150 people coming in here every day. It's so busy we don't even get a lunch-break."
SUBTITLE
"My father's a labourer. He needs to pay one-fifth of his wage."
SUBTITLE:
"Can't he come in?"
SUBTITLE:
"No, he's too busy."
SUBTITLE
"It's better if he comes in himself so we can go over the figures in person."
This woman's here with her new boyfriend to sort out her divorce.
SUBTITLE
"Can you help me?"
SUBTITLE
"I can't help you, but that guy over there should be able to."
This man's trying to figure out how to divide his inheritance between Sistani and his children.
SUBTITLE
"I want to draw up a proper will to make sure things are sorted for my children."
The Sistani consultancy boasts a telephone hotline, open from nine am until sundown.
SUBTITLE:
"What's the problem?"
SUBTITLE:
"You're going on holiday? Say a few prayers."
Ayatollah Sistani's rep consults the Koran. The advice depends on which verse his eyes fall on.
SUBTITLE:
"Yes, hello? The omen is good."
SUBTITLE
"You're welcome. Good-bye."
Consulting God, as they call it, is fine if you're a local phonecall away -- but what if you're not? Millions of Shia are scattered across the world.
Sistani dot org offers advice on everyday, personal matters, from keeping dogs to playing chess. Under "S," there's screeds of guidance on sexual behaviour. Also under "S": suicide -- which, Sistani states, is not permitted under any circumstances: bombing included.
Sistani confounds all the stereotypes: he's a moderniser from Iran who's used the internet to extend his powerbase.
And -- another surprise: he's wooing the women of Iraq, religious and secular. Here in Baghdad, Sistani's organisation has funded one of the first religious schools to be opened specifically for Shia women. There's been a rush to enroll.
SYNC
Kameelah Shahir
Koranic Teacher
"Under Saddam, us women had to study religion and the Koran secretly in a mosque, but after the fall of the regime, we noticed that both teachers and students were really enthusiastic about studying Islam so we didn't have to do anything to attract women to come to classes here."
"Mr Sistani's last fatwa said that women should vote and should have a special quota in future parliamentary elections. That means they should occupy forty seats in the parliament. He looks at women as human beings and looks at their capabilities, not their gender. That is what the Holy Koran asks us to do as well."
We're at Baghdad's School of Fine Art. Some of the young female students here had been concerned that the rise of the clerics in post-Saddam Iraq would affect their personal freedoms.
SYNC
Fatimah 2
"Many women are forced to wear the veil because they are worried about their safety and getting raped. Under Saddam, there were no religious leaders and we were not scared."
SYNC
Fatimah 1
"In Saddam's time, we lived in a cage. Then we were released into the jungle. But we didn't know what to do in the jungle. We are scared of some of the religious leaders. At the beginning of this school year, I thought I should wear the veil. But I changed my mind."
SYNC
Fatimah 3
"Ayatollah Sistani understands us. He would like to preserve women's rights. He doesn't want Iraq to be another Iran."
The reverence Sistani commands in Iraq is so pervasive, it proves impossible to find anyone critical. The Ayatollah wields spiritual power but he's also the most politically inflential man in Iraq.
SOT
Rasam Fadhel
Retired trader
"We consider him The Great One in Iraq. He's the first and foremost object of emulation. We cannot deviate from what he asks us to do. He's a wonderful man. He loves peace and Islam."
In the cafes, all the talk is of politics, the trials of occupation and the transfer of power -- and, of course, Sistani's likely verdict.
SOT
Ghasem Aboudi
Shopkeeper
"If Sistani announces Jihad, we will force the occupiers out of the country. We will carry out suicide bombings and we will throw ourselves under their tanks. Jihad is one of the most important obligations we have in Islam. It's like fasting, prayers and paying one-fifth of your earnings."
But Sistani is no rabble-rouser. He kept silent under Saddam. He has also been silent over the degrading treatment of Iraqis by occupying forces.
Yet the Shia are a patient people and nothing will happen until Ayatollah Sistani says it's time.
SYNC
Jaffar al-Fatlawi
Shopkeeper
"You should follow your object of emulation in every situation."
Jaffar's devotion to Sistani is particularly breathtaking. This is a man who was tortured by Saddam and then detained for six months by American troops -- along with nine members of his family.
"The Americans beat us and uninated on us. They took pictures of us. They had a translator and two investigators. They had no mercy. One of them had an iron bar and he beat us with that. He treated us like animals and ordered me to kiss his shoes."
STING
But not all Shia as patient as Jaffar.
UPSOT (SUBTITLES)
These angry, unemployed, disenchanted young men are the supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr, the junior cleric who started the Shia uprising in March.
More UPSOT
It's Friday prayers in Kufa -- just down the road from the city of Najaf, Sistani's hometown and the hearthstone of Shia Islam. Moqtada is to give today's sermon.
UPSOT Bang bang
As we're filming, a firefight breaks out between Moqtada's militia and the Americans -- who've been trying and failing to evict Moqtada's forces from Iraq's holy cities.
UPSOT Bang bang
Moqtada al-Sadr and Ali Sistani are neighbours in Najaf; but they're miles apart politcally. The uprising was a warning shot of what can happen when the Shia of Iraq disregard the moderation and patience of Sistani.
The old Ayatollah's sought to calm the firey young cleric; he appealed to him -- and the Americans -- to keep their gunbattles away from these, the holiest Shia shrines.
Now, an uneasy truce is holding. But there's still sporadic rocket and mortar fire.
UPSOT boom
The city which has been Sistani's home for fifty years is a ghost town.
SYNC
Ali Hussein Majid
Najaf resident
"Ayatollah Sistani is trying his best to stop the bloodshed. He is asking both the Iraqis and the Americans to settle their arguments through peaceful means. Unfortunately neither of them listened to him. May God prolong Sistani's life, kill all his enemies and we condemn anyone who doesn't listen to our object of emulation."
While the outside world worries and wonders about the way forward now, for most Iraqi Shia, the answer is obvious. Failure to listen to the object of emulation will be a bad omen for Iraq's current occupiers and its next government.
As Iraqi soveriegnty beckons, Sistani's political stature just keeps on growing -- as does his spiritual authority as Iraq's moral compass. Whatever direction Iraq's future rulers take, their legitimacy will rest on Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani's seal of approval.
While the outside world frets about the way forward now, for most Iraqi Shia, the answer is obvious. Failure to listen to the object of emulation will be a bad omen. Ali Sistani's political stature is destined to grow -- as is his spiritual authority as Iraq's moral compass. Whatever direction Iraq's future leaders take, their legitimacy will rest on his seal of approval.
ENDS///