On the political front, the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the largest Shia political party, has changed its name and shifted its center of political and religious support from the Qom school of thought, led by the Iranian Ayatollah in Iran, to the Najaf school of thought, led by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
This would "mark a shift from SCIRI's current platform, which says the group gets its guidance from the religious establishment of Welayat al Faqih, led by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran," Reuters reported on Friday.
SCIRI has renamed itself the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, dropping the "Revolution" from the name. While the source stated the name change was due to Saddam's overthrow, the change is far more significant.
The term revolution is closely associated with Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power in 1979 and the radical change Khomeini introduced in Shia politics.
At Best of the Web Today, James Taranto has covered the same development, aptly headlining it "We Won't Take Any More of Your Shiite, Iran"
Wonder if it's getting a bit chilly in Tehran.
Update 15 May: Jules Crittenden gives 12 good reasons why it just might be.
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