Arbaeen March and Its Effect on Iran s Soft Power in Iraq:Practice Theory

The Arbaeen March has gradually become an influential cultural and social practice on Iran-Iraq relations. Every year, millions of Iranians make their way to the Holy Shrines in Iraq and showcase the remarkable manifestations of religious, cultural and social interactions between the two countries. The influence of these interactions on Iran s soft power in Iraq has not been properly analyzed so far. Accordingly, the article mainly asks ‘What effect has the Arbaeen March had on Iran s soft power in Iraq?’ The study of ‘practice’ has long been of interest to some International Relations scholars such as Iver Neumann and Emmanuel Adler. In recent years, however, there was Practice Turn in International Relations that emphasizes the priority of practice versus discourse elements in analyzing countries international actions. The present study aims to survey the practice dimensions of Arbaeen March and its impact on Iran s soft power in Iraq by using the practice conceptual framework in International Relations. To this aim, in addition to the books, reports and articles, first-hand data have been collected and analyzed through interviews with Iranian and Iraqi elites related to the Arbaeen March. The results indicates that the Arbaeen March has led to the strengthening of Iran s soft power in Iraq by creating a context of social convergence between Iran and Iraq, as well as strengthening cooperation with some Iraqi Shia groups to manage the event.