Khalil F. Osman - Sectarianism in Iraq: The Making of State and Nation Since 1920

Sectarianism in Iraq

This book links sectarianism in Iraq to the failure of the modern nation-state to resolve tensions between sectarian identities and concepts of unified statehood and uniform citizenry.

After a theoretical excursus that recasts the notion of primordial identity as a socially constructed reality, the author sets out to explain the persistence of sectarian affiliations in Iraq since its creation following the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. Despite the adoption of homogenizing state policies, the uneven sectarian composition of the ruling elites nurtured feelings of political exclusion among marginalized sectarian groups, the Shiites before 2003 and the Sunnis in the post-2003 period. The book then examines how communal discourses in the educational curriculum provoked masked forms of resistance that sharpened sectarian consciousness. Tracing how the anti-Persian streak in the nation-states Pan-Arab ideology, which camouflaged anti-Shiism, undermined Iraqs national integration project, Sectarianism in Iraq delves into the countrys slide from a totalizing Pan-Arab ideology in the pre-2003 period toward the atomistic impulse of the federalist debate in the post-2003 period.

Employing extensive fieldwork, this book sheds light on the dynamics of political life in post-Saddam Iraq and is essential reading for Iraqi and Middle East specialists, as well as those interested in understanding the current heightening of sectarian SunniShiite tensions in the Middle East.

Khalil Osman is a Senior Political Affairs Officer at the UN. He has taught politics at Indiana University and reported extensively from several Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq. Dr Osmans reporting experience includes work for the BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Canada International.

Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Democratization and Government

Edited by Larbi Sadiki, University of Exeter

This series examines new ways of understanding democratization and government in the Middle East. The varied and uneven processes of change, occurring in the Middle Eastern region, can no longer be read and interpreted solely through the prism of Euro-American transitology. Seeking to frame critical parameters in light of these new horizons, this series instigates reinterpretations of democracy and propagates formerly subaltern, narratives of democratization. Reinvigorating discussion on how Arab and Middle Eastern peoples and societies seek good government, Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Democratization and Government provides tests and contests of old and new assumptions.

1. Revolution, Revolt and Reform in North Africa
The Arab Spring and Beyond
Edited by Ricardo Ren Larmont

2. Informal Power in the Greater Middle East
Hidden Geographies
Edited by Luca Anceschi, Gennaro Gervasio and Andrea Teti

3. Crowds and Politics in North Africa
Tunisia, Algeria and Libya
Andrea Khalil

4. Egypts Long Revolution
Protest Movements and Uprisings
Maha Abdelrahman

5. Sectarianism in Iraq
The Making of State and Nation since 1920
Khalil F. Osman

Sectarianism in Iraq

The Making of State and Nation since 1920

Khalil F. Osman

First published 2015

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2015 Khalil F. Osman

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.

The right of Khalil F. Osman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

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ISBN: 978-1-138-77946-4 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-77126-7 (ebk)

Typeset in Times New Roman

by Taylor & Francis Books

This book has had a long period of gestation. In conducting the research, I benefitted in innumerable ways from my years of work on and in Iraq, which provided me with a wide network of contacts and a wealth of insider information. The book has also benefitted from my lifelong interest in Islamic and Middle Eastern history and politics. I am especially grateful to the many interviewees who were willing to share with me their time, thoughts, and knowledge. Due to the sensitivity of the issues dealt with, many interlocutors have understandably requested that their anonymity be preserved. While their identity remains hidden, the usefulness of the information they revealed and the insights they shared can by no means be concealed. Special thanks go to Larbi Sadiki and John Heathershaw of the University of Exeter, both of whom suggested useful sources and helped me along the way to refine my approach, argument, and ideas and make them more nuanced. I am also indebted to Michael Dumper and Hilal Khashan for their insightful feedback and thoughtful comments which helped sharpen my ideas and analysis. I owe an enormous debt to my friend and former colleague Hamid Alkifaey, the former spokesperson of the Iraqi Governing Council. Hamid not only agreed to be interviewed for this book, but also read many parts of the manuscript and made useful, critical comments and suggestions. He was always available for informal discussions in which he offered invaluable advice on the books content. It goes without saying, as I inscribe my acknowledgment to their contributions, that all errors and mistakes, as well as the views expressed in the following chapters, are solely mine.

For many years now, I have been leading what I would call a postmodern nomadic lifestyle. My work engagements which require me to be constantly on the move in difficult and, sometimes, dangerous parts of the world preclude easy access to library material. I have benefitted from the support of many friends and family members who helped me surmount this gigantic inconvenience by obtaining loads of digital copies of books, articles, and other material and having them sent to me by email. In this regard, I owe special thanks to my nephew Bilal Hadwan, whose outstanding research skills have been essential in locating some rare and not-easy-to-find sources for this book. Over the past few years, Bilal has always been prompt and highly efficient in meeting a steady stream of requests to obtain material and pubisher permissions for the use of copyright material in this book. Special thanks are also due to my editors at Routledge, James Joe Whiting and Kathryn Rylance, whose expert support and guidance were unfailingly helpful in adeptly shepherding this book down the road to publication.