Sectarianism in Iraq

Antagonistic Visions of Unity

Fanar Haddad

Critical look at how we compartmentalise Iraqis into Shi'as and Sunnis.
First comprehensive analysis of sectarian relations and identities in Iraq.
Focuses on the uprisings in March 1991 and fall of the Ba'ath in 2003.
Shortlisted for British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Book Prize 2012.

Sectarianism in Iraq

Antagonistic Visions of Unity

Fanar Haddad

Description

Viewing Iraq from the outside is made easier by compartmentalising its people (at least the Arabs among them) into Shi'as and Sunnis. But can such broad terms, inherently resistant to accurate quantification, description and definition, ever be a useful reflection of any society? If not, are we to discard the terms 'Shi'a' and 'Sunni' in seeking to understand Iraq? Or are we to deny their relevance and ignore them when considering Iraqi society? How are we to view the common Iraqi injunction that 'we are all brothers' or that 'we have no Shi'as and Sunnis' against the fact of sectarian civil war in 2006? Are they friends or enemies? Are they united or divided; indeed, are they Iraqis or are they Shi'as and Sunnis? Fanar Haddad provides the first comprehensive examination of sectarian relations and sectarian identities in Iraq. Rather than treating the subject by recourse to broad-based categorisation, his analysis recognises the inherent ambiguity of group identity. The salience of sectarian identity and views towards self and other are neither fixed nor constant; rather, they are part of a continuously fluctuating dynamic that sees the relevance of sectarian identity advancing and receding according to context and to wider socioeconomic and political conditions. What drives the salience of sectarian identity? How are sectarian identities negotiated in relation to Iraqi national identity and what role do sectarian identities play in the social and political lives of Iraqi Sunnis and Shi'as? These are some of the questions explored in this book with a particular focus on the two most significant turning points in modern Iraqi sectarian relations: the uprisings of March 1991 and the fall of the Ba'ath in 2003. Haddad explores how sectarian identities are negotiated and seeks finally to put to rest the alarmist and reductionist accounts that seek either to portray all things Iraqi in sectarian terms or to reduce sectarian identity to irrelevance.

Sectarianism in Iraq

Antagonistic Visions of Unity

Fanar Haddad

Sectarianism in Iraq

Antagonistic Visions of Unity

Fanar Haddad

Author Information

Fanar Haddad is a Singapore based analyst of Middle Eastern and Iraqi affairs. He previously lectured at the University of Exeter and has worked extensively on Iraq and the wider region, most recently as an analyst at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Sectarianism in Iraq

Antagonistic Visions of Unity

Fanar Haddad

Reviews and Awards

"Haddad should be applauded not only for opening the door on further research on the subject but also for killing off the taboo hanging over sectarianism. Particularly with Syria in mind, shining the light on the relationship between sectarianism and nationalism is a key factor in mitigating and managing potential conflict, something that denying its relevance fails to do."--International Affairs

"Sectarianism in Iraq provides a valuable insight into the complex interactions of social, religious, political, and ideational dynamics that are all too often referred to as being solely responsible for the devastating decline into near-civil war in Iraq in 2006-7. Haddad presents a nuanced, balanced, at times provocative account of why Iraqis of different sectarian colour committed the most atrocious acts against each other, while both maintained a near-identical narrative of their nationalist view. Sectarianism in Iraq is a powerful and insightful analysis of one of the most catastrophic events in modern Iraqi history."--Gareth Stansfield, Professor of Middle East Politics, Director of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

"Lucid and intriguing, Fanar Haddad's book crosses the minefield of sectarianism in Iraq with great success. By focusing on sectarian relations, rather than Shiis and Sunnis alone and by analyzing various levels of culture, Haddad ably circumvents the stringencies of the dominant version of Iraqi nationalism and its discourse that silences any attempt to touch the sectarian issue. This vanguard study paves the way for further interpretations of this sensitive subject." --Dr Ronen Zeidel, Director of Research, Center for Iraq Studies, University of Haifa, Israel