Nationalism and Islamism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Exploring a new political phenomenon in the Middle East, this book studies the reconciliation of nationalism and Islamism by Islamic political parties in the context of nation states. Islamism in Kurdistan has become significantly framed by the politics of nationalism.
Although the concept of religious nationalism has been discussed substantially before, this work highlights a new brand of religious nationalism that has emerged as a result of intertwining nationalism and Islamism. The focus of this study is on the development of religious nationalism in the continuously tumultuous region of the Middle East. The volume investigates whether Islamism in Kurdistan is limited by the politics of nationalism which is an accentuated example for the whole Middle East region. By looking at the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), the research studies Islamism in the Kurdistan Region to elaborate on this new type of politics. This is essentially due to the absence of a politically recognised nation state, which renders Kurds particularly susceptible to various manifestations of nationalism.
Offering an account of the spread of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Kurdistan Region, this original research on Kurdish nationalism will be a key text for students and researchers interested in nationalism, Islamism and Middle East politics.
Mohammad Salih Mustafa is a lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations, Soran University, Iraq. He holds a PhD in Ethno-Political Studies. Research interests include: religious nationalism, Islamism, the Kurdistan Region, the Muslim Brotherhood, counterterrorism and security. His publications include The Trajectory and Current State of Intra-Kurdish Politics in Kurdistan Region, the Role and Influence of Iran and Turkey, published in the Turkish Journal of Security Studies (2016).
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For a full list of titles in the series:
https://www.routledge.com/middleeaststudies/series/SE0823
First published 2021
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2021 Mohammad Salih Mustafa
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mustafa, Mohammad Salih, 1971- author.
Title: Nationalism and Islamism in the Kurdistan region of Iraq : the emergence of the Kurdistan Islamic Union / Mohammad Salih Mustafa.
Other titles: Routledge studies in Middle Eastern politics ; 104.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2021. | Series: Routledge studies in Middle Eastern politics ; 104 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020023006 (print) | LCCN 2020023007 (ebook) | ISBN 9780367228514 (hardback) | ISBN 9780429277160 (ebook) | ISBN 9781000204049 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781000204124 (epub) | ISBN 9781000204087 (mobi)
Subjects: LCSH: Yekgirty slamy Kurdistan (Iraq) | Nationalism
Religious aspectsIslam. | NationalismIraqKurdista-n. | Islam and politicsIraqKurdista-n. | Islamic fundamentalismIraqKurdista-n. | KurdsPolitics and government. | Kurdista-n (Iraq)Politics and government.
Classification: LCC DS79.89.K87 M87 2021 (print) | LCC DS79.89.K87 (ebook) | DDC 320.5409567/2dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020023006
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020023007
ISBN: 978-0-367-22851-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-27716-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Taylor & Francis Books
Contents
AK Justice and Development Party, Turkey
CDJ Coalition for Democracy and Justice
CFR Council on Foreign Relations
CPA Coalition Provisional Authority
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
HDP Peoples Democratic Party
IGC Iraqi Governing Council
IIGC Iraqi Interim Governing Council
IIP Iraqi Islamic Party
IKL Islamic Kurdish League
IMIK Islamic Movement in Iraqi Kurdistan
ISIS or ISIL Islamic State in Iraq and Sham, or Islamic State in Iraq and Levant
ISUK Islamic Students Union of Kurdistan
JK Committee for Revival of the Kurds/Komala
KCP Kurdistan Communist Party
KDP Kurdistan Democratic Party
KIG or KIK Kurdistan Islamic Group, or Kurdistan Islamic Komal (Group)
KISL Kurdistan Islamic Sisters League
KIU Kurdistan Islamic Union
KPP Kurdistan Peoples Party
KRG Kurdistan Regional Government
KSA Kurdistan Students Association
KSDP Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party
KSP Kurdistan Socialist Party
KSU Kurdistan Students Union
KTP Kurdistan Toilers Party
LC Leadership Committee/Council
MB Muslim Brotherhood
MBS Mohammad bin Salman
ME Middle East
MP Member of Parliament
PKK Kurdistan Workers Party
PUK Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
PYD Democratic Union Party
SG Secretary General
USA United States of America
WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction
When I was four years old, my family had to leave our village, and we became refugees among the Kurdish camps in Iran. This was after the setback to the Kurdish revolution in 1975. Then, in 1976, we returned to Iraq, but were immediately sent to a remote village in Southern Iraq, where we had to learn the Arabic language and integrate into a new society. In 1977, we were sent back to Kurdistan. However, this was to a new district because the Iraqi regime prohibited Kurdish dwellers in our area, which was adjacent to the Iranian border, from returning to their own original homelands. This time we stayed in that district, called Kalar, from 1977 until 1988. It is worth mentioning that in 1988 another brutal genocide of the Kurds was executed by the Iraqi regime. The chemical bombardments of Halabja and the so-called Anfal campaigns were notorious events of that genocide. Following that, I went to pursue my BA in Arts in Baghdad, graduating in 1993. From 1994 to 1999, when I left Iraq, I lived and worked in another district.
