la , ▁the ▁tribes ▁along ▁the ▁Al - H indi ya ▁canal , ▁and ▁the ▁five ▁tribes ▁of ▁Al ▁Di w ani y ah ▁( A q ra ’ , ▁Bud ay y ir , ▁Af ak , ▁J ub ur ▁and ▁J il ai ha ) ▁which ▁re lied ▁on ▁the ▁D agh ara ▁canal ▁for ▁water . ▁The ▁Sh ia ▁opposed ▁Mand atory ▁Ira q ▁and ▁its ▁Sun ni ▁mon archy . ▁ ▁Ba ath ist ▁regime ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁" A rab ▁national ism ▁and ▁party ▁politics ▁su pers eded " ▁Sh ia ▁unity ▁in ▁Ira qi ▁politics , ▁and ▁Sh ia ▁ay atol lah s ▁were ▁not ▁polit ically ▁active . ▁Sh ia ▁were ▁generally ▁less ▁well - off ▁econom ically ▁and ▁soci ally , ▁and ▁supported ▁left ist ▁parties . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁Arab - n ational ist ▁and ▁social ist ▁Ba ' ath ▁Party ▁seized ▁power ▁in ▁a ▁coup , ▁ 5 3 ▁percent ▁of ▁its ▁membership ▁was ▁Sh ia . ▁The ▁Sh ia ▁were ▁sh unted ▁aside ▁( by ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁only ▁six ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁Ba ' ath ▁party ▁were ▁Sh ia ), ▁and ▁turned ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ul ama ▁for ▁leadership . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁disc rim ination ▁by ▁the ▁Sun ni ▁government , ▁the ▁Sh ia ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁dis aff ected ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁al - D awa ▁(" the ▁Call "), ▁a ▁political ▁party