Raihan Ismail is an Associate Lecturer at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies. She works on sectarian politics in the Middle East and the dynamics within and between Islamic institutions.  In 2008, having completed a Bachelor in Political Science with a minor in Islamic Studies, and a Masters in International Relations from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, Raihan attended ANU Open Day. She was interested in continuing Islamic Studies and was fortunate to be able to discuss her ideas with CAIS lecturer and Islam specialist Professor James Piscatori. From that discussion, she was inspired to enrol in a doctoral degree program at CAIS. She initially set out to explore the complex and sometimes violent tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Raihan went on to write her doctoral thesis on the subject and produce a book, Saudi Clerics and Shi'a Islam, published by Oxford University Press in January 2016.

Having published this important work, Dr Ismail, continued to publish, became a frequent media commentator and conducted a significant outreach program. A media highlight of her year was a debut television performance as a guest on ABC TV's popular Q & A program. In the latter part of this year, Raihan will present her work at the bi-annual conference of the Middle East Studies Association in Boston  and at a lecture at The Centre for Middle East Studies, Harvard University. Raihan has contributed to the CAIS teaching program by convening two undergraduate first year courses and two postgraduate courses, 'Islam, Faith and Community' and 'Islam and the Politics of Sectarianism in the Middle East'.

Saudi Clerics and Shī‘a Islam by Dr Raihan Ismail.
Published by Oxford University Press, January 2016. [9780190233310]

The Saudi ‘ulamā’ are known for their strong opposition to Shī‘a theology, Shī‘a communities in Saudi Arabia, and external Shī‘a influences such as Iran and Hezbollah. Their potent hostility, combined with their influence within the Saudi state and the Muslim world, has led some commentators to blame the Saudi ‘ulamā’ for growing sectarian conflict in the Middle East. However, there is very little understanding of the reasoning that lies behind the positions of the ‘ulamā’ as revealed by the polemics directed at the Shī‘a by the Saudi religious establishment. 

In Saudi Clerics and Shī‘a Islam, Raihan Ismail  offers a close examination of the discourse of the Saudi ‘ulamā’ regarding Shiism and Shī‘a communities, analyzing sermons, lectures, publications, and religious rulings. Ismail argues that the attitudes of the ‘ulamā’ are not only governed by their theological convictions regarding Shiism, but are motivated by political events involving the Shī‘a within the Saudi state and abroad. She also shows that political events affect the intensity and frequency of the rhetoric of the Saudi clerics at any given point. This timely book sheds light on a controversial topic that continues to shape the troubled religious and political landscape of the Middle East.

“Ismail has written a ground-breaking study on one of the key issues in the contemporary Islamic World: The attitude of Saudi clerics towards non-Sunni Muslims. Based on a close reading of sermons, books, and online discussions in Arabic, Ismail shows how Saudi clerics have embraced anti-Shiism as a cornerstone of their campaign to impose Wahhabi religious orthodoxy on Muslims around the world. An essential reading for anyone interested in the root causes of the religious conflicts that are reshaping the Middle East.”—Toby Matthiesen, Senior Research Fellow in the International Relations of the Middle East, The Middle East Centre, St. Antony’s College

“Raihan Ismail’s work presents, for the first time in English, comprehensive coverage of portrayals of Shiism in Saudi religious thought and preaching for both establishment and non-establishment ‘ulamā’. An examination of both theological and political influences upon portrayals of Saudi Shī‘a and their interactions with other Shī‘a in Iran, Bahrain, Iraq, and Yemen, Ismail’s book is a welcome addition to the corpus of work on Saudi religious thought and practice.”—Natana J. DeLong-Bas, Editor-in-Chief, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women

“This is an authoritative, richly textured inquiry into Saudi Salafi clerical discourse toward Shiism.   It challenges many of our previously-held assumptions about Saudi clerical views on the Muslim ‘other.’ A great strength of Raihan Ismail’s work is her deft handling of clerical primary sources and her illumination of the ways in which religious doctrine is constantly being shaped by political context, personalities, and regional events.   A must read for anyone interested in Saudi Arabia, clerical authority, and sectarianism.”—Frederic Wehrey, author of Sectarian Politics in the Gulf: From the Iraq War to the Arab Uprisings