موقف اهالي مدينة الكاظمية من الاحتلال البريطاني للبصرة 1914- 1915

Abstract

A study of the attitude of the people of Kadhimiya from the British occupation of Basra (1914-1915) reflects an important link to the previous studies, which relate to the Iraqi resistance to the British occupation, because of the city's depth of religious, historical and civilization.

The research aims to study the position of the people of Kadhimiya about  the British occupation of Basra in 1914, and to identify their activity and attitudes to resist the occupation by issuing fatwas of jihad, during the First World War. This period represents an important stage in the contemporary history of Iraq.

when the letters of the distress request arrived, the scholars in the city of Kadhimah denounced the British occupation of Basra, then they issued fatwas urging the jihad against the British occupier, this helped the people of Al-Kadhimiya to join with Al-Hawza organizations in Najaf, Karbala and Kadhimiya. The people of the city donated money, arms and supplies, despite their simplicity when compared it with British weapons.

The religious authority in Al-Kadhimiya led by the two great scholars, Sayed Mehdi al-Haidari and Sheikh Mohammed Mahdi al-Khalisi, who worked to prepare the people of the city, as well as mobilization of tribes on both sides of the Tigris River to fight.

In the battlefields , the people of Kadhimiya joined with the fighters in two axes, the first led by sayed Mahdi Al-Haidari in the city of Amarah, the second axis is led by sheikh Mohammed Mahdi Al-Khalisi in the Hawizah front, they had a prominent role in leadership and fighting, and efforts to strengthen the morale of the Mujahideen of the sons of Al-Kadhimiya and other cities as well as Ottoman fighters.