Hashemite Supremacy

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Hashemite Supremacy (Arabic: الاستعلاء الهاشمي‎, romanized: al- istiʿlāʾ alhāšimī), is the belief that those who descend, either directly or indirectly, from the family of the Prophet Muḥammad are superior to those of other lineages, and thus should dominate them.

The ideology of Hashemite Supremacy derives its legitimacy from various Islamic religious texts, including the Quran and the prophetic sayings (Hadiths). In these texts, Hashemites, especially Ahl al-bait (the house of prophet), are deemed superior to all other people, and that their privileged position in power must, therefore, be guaranteed. Throughout Islamic history, the Hashemite ideology was exploited and applied as a political doctrine of the “divine right of kings”, asserting the Hashemite rulers derived their authority from God. It is currently employed as the political and religious doctrine of political legitimacy for some Islamic regimes and political parties in countries such as Iran, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.

Several tribes have claimed purported descent to Hashemite lineage in various Islamic countries. The Hashemite tribes are sometimes divided, in a hierarchical manner, depending on their direct link to the Prophet Muhammad. The term Ahl al-bait ("people of the house") is used almost exclusively for the family, or the direct descendants, of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Hashemites have played a crucial role in Islamic history. The following Quranic show their significance in Islam: "God only wishes To remove all abomination From you, ye Members Of the Family (of the prophet), and to make You pure and spotless" [Quran: 33: 33]. The Hashemite ideology only began to be employed for political purposes during the time of the Rashidun Caliphates, when the Prophet's relatives were given privileged positions in Islamic thought and practice. The power struggle that emerged between Sunnis and Shiites created an enabling environment for the Hashemite ideology to grow and gain more force, especially since Shiites believe that power succession after the Prophet's death should have been based on Mohammed's bloodline. According to Shiites’ beliefs, love for the prophetic family is among the basic duties in Islam.

The notion of Hashemite supremacy is manifested in the honorary titles that Hashemite supremacists give themselves, such as (Al-Ashrāf, Al-Sādah, Alawīyah, Al-Qanadīl, ... etc.). This comes in contrast to the disparaging nicknames they give to those who do not belong to their lineage (such as Zanābīl in Yemen)... The supremacy is also manifested in the social, economic and political structures established by Hashemite rulers, in which Hashemites enjoy structural advantages (privilege) over all other groups, on both a collective and individual level, despite formal legal equality. Alongside their divine right to govern, the Hashemites in Islamic tradition are exempt from paying Zakat (=a religious obligation or tax). Accordingly, most of the Hashemite supremacists believe in their right to 20% of all state funds (Al-Khums=the fifth). In Yemen, Ansar Allah (Houthis), an armed militia that adopts Hashemite supremacy as their political and religious doctrine, tried to legalize Al-Khums in 2020 .

In Iraq, the Shiites venerate Hashemite religious scholars, who are known by their black turbans, deeming them the direct heirs of the Prophet Mohammed in terms of knowledge and blood. This explains the large number of Hashemite religious scholars at the top positions of the finest denominational schools in Iran and Iraq in the last centuries, such as Moḥammad Mahdī Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, Mohammad Hasan Shirazi, Abu l-Hasan al-Isfahani and Abū l-Qāsim al-Chū'ī. Hashemite families in these countries, such as the Aal Alhakeem family and Aal Assadr family, have also enjoyed influential power as political loyalties formed around them

Racial Discrimination

Hashemite Supremacists consider themselves superior to the rest of society. They strictly prohibit marriage between Hashemite women and non-Hashemites men. During the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, which preceded the founding of the Republic of North Yemen in 1962, the Hashemite rulers (Imams) forbade those who do not belong to the Hashemite lineage from obtaining certain names – which included Mohammed, Ahmed, Abdullah, Abdulrahman, ...etc. – and forced those already named to change their names. The rationale behind it was to distinguish Hashemites from non-Hashemites. Similarly, in northern Yemen, the Hashemites were distinguished by the rings they wore on their little fingers, which had large gemstones. They also sought to distinguish themselves from others by their different way of wearing the traditional Janbiya (a curved traditional dagger worn on the belt), whereby they would tilt it to the side. Overall, Hashemites are given special treatment in various Islamic countries, sometimes even being associated with holiness

In Iraq, the descendants of Prophet Mohammed and Alī ibn Abī Tālib (cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet) are high in the social hierarchy, being considered as local leaders that competing in legitimacy with tribal sheikhs, governors and rulers. Additionally, a seasonal feudal system is emerging in Iraq where Hashemite Supremacists are claiming that they have the right to 20% of the total land. This feudal practice is rife in southern and Northern Iraq where fertile land is either taken by force or given as endowment to Hashemite families. They also pressure people into obedience, claiming that the curses of the Imam will befall those who refuse to obey. As a result, the Hashemites are venerated as honorary leaders even within tribes that have different lineages, such as the Kurdish Barzani tribe or the Bedouin Al-Muntafiq emirate.

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