▁longer ▁anymore ▁relevant . ▁ ▁Modern ▁Sh ay kh ism ▁▁ ▁The ▁current ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ay k hi ya ▁is ▁Ze in ▁al - A bed in ▁E bra h imi ▁from ▁Iran ▁which ▁become ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁Sh ay k hi ya ▁when ▁the ▁last ▁leader ▁Mr . ▁Ali ▁al - Mus aw i ▁died ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁Ali ▁al - Mus aw i ▁was ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁heads ▁a ▁community ▁with ▁follow ers ▁in ▁Ira q ▁- ▁mainly ▁Bas rah ▁and ▁Kar b ala ▁- ▁Iran ▁and ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf . ▁Bas rah ▁has ▁a ▁significant ▁Sh ay k hi ▁minor ity , ▁and ▁their ▁mos que ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁holding ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁The ▁Sh ay k hi ya ▁were ▁resol utely ▁ap olit ical ▁and ▁hence ▁were ▁allowed ▁relative ▁freedom ▁under ▁S add am ▁Hus sein . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁In vas ion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁and ▁subsequent ▁Ira qi ▁Civil ▁War ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁target ed ▁by ▁Ira qi ▁national ists ▁who ▁accused ▁them ▁of ▁being ▁Sa ud is ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁A hm ad ▁al - A hs ai ▁was ▁from ▁present - day ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia . ▁They ▁respond ed ▁by ▁creating ▁an ▁armed ▁milit ia ▁and ▁asking ▁all ▁local ▁political ▁groups ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁p act ▁allowing ▁them ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁peace . ▁This ▁was ▁done ▁at ▁the ▁al - Z