Iraq holds a glory of being one of the ancient invention ground during Mesopotamian civilization. In around 3000 BC the invention of wheel, writing script, plough, agriculture irrigation system, first accurate calendar system, written law code, area of circle, value of pie etc. From 5000 BC till 1st century BC the civilizations Sumerian, Akkadians, Babylonian, Assyrians, Neo Babylonian, Persian and Romans flourished here in chronological order. Remember this by order SABA Ne PeR diya.
We need to understand the Shia and Sunni fraction of Islam in order to understand an Islamic country. I put my understanding in my below chart.
The followers of Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali are Shia (Hashmite) while followers of Muhammad’s father-in-law are Sunni (Ummayad) as shown in chart. The story to become caliph is story to be in power by any means and spread of radical sect.
Second and third caliphs are the brothers of Muhammad’s wife Aisha brothers. As per Aisha her son-in-law Ali was accomplice in murder of her two brothers to become fourth caliph of Islam.
But caliphate of Ali was severely challenged by Muawiyah, a Sunni governor of Syria. He was born in powerful Quraysh clan and controlled Mecca. Meanwhile Ali was murdered by third group and fight for caliph seemed to end with Ali’s murder after Muawiyah became caliph.
But still fight did not end here. Hussain, son of Ali was killed at Karbala in Iraq in fight between Ummayads and Hashmite. Since then Shias mourn his death every year as they thought that Hussain was the true messenger of Muhammad’s Islam. This murder cemented the Shia-Sunni rife till day.
Let us now have a look at who influenced region of Iraq from time of arrival of Islam till its Independence.
Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE ) Sunni ruled in this region for about 90 years. The fall of Ummayad was due to their cruelty, one man rule, immorality and rise of Abbasid.
Abbasid Caliphate (Sunni) ruled from 750-1258 AD who were the descendants of Mohammad’s uncle. They founded Baghdad. They enjoyed religious caliphs and were indirect but influential rulers of the Iraq region. The political power of the caliphs limited with the rise of the Iranian Buiyds (Shia) in 945 AD and Seljuq Turks (Sunni) 1055 AD. The status and treatment of Jews, Christians, and non-Muslims in the Abbasid Caliphate was not good and they were forced to pay zaziya, a tax for not being a Muslim.
From 1258-1508 Mongols ruled. They were from Central Asia regions and were non Muslims. They invaded Iraq in 1258 AD, captured Baghdad, killed about a million Iraqis, burnt mosques, houses, libraries.
After Mongols for a short period of 26 years Safavids ruled up to 1534. Being for short time there was none of their impact on Iraq.
In 1534 Iraq is conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Conquest of Ottoman empire was win of Sunni over Shia majority Iraq. After WW-I Great Britain was given mandate of Iraq. British freed Iraq in 1932. King Faisal-I was first King of independent Iraq.
Modern Iraq
We can take modern period of Iraq from the time it became independent in 1932. Before that it was more under caliphate rule with much of Sunni influence as rulers on Shia majority. Let us see how the time, politics, public life changed for Modern Iraqis.
Division of Ottoman Empire was at decision of colonial powers with their vested interests.
- Britain kept Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Yemen and Cyprus.
- France kept Syria and Lebanon.
- The Iraqi population had Kurds 30% (Sunni), Arabs 65% (Sunni), Assyrian Christians and small percentage of Jews.
These super powers sowed the seed of discord during carving of Iraq. Kurds (Sunni) expecting independence were divided in three countries Iraq, Turkey and Syria and are minority in each country today. They are fighting for their independence since then. More than 30,000 people died during the years of fighting between the Turkish government and the guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
The Assyrians live mainly in the major cities and in the rural areas of northeastern Iraq and Kurds call them Kurdish Christians. There are reports of sometimes violence between Assyrians and Kurd Muslims. While Arabs in Iraq were indigenous pre-Islamic Mesopotamian Arabs who were converted to Islam in 7th century invasions.
Britain had “mandate” (authority given by League of Nations to govern) on Iraq till 1932. They imposed Hashmite monarch Faisal-I, though he was Sunni. After death of Faisal-I his son Faisal-II (1935–1958) was enthroned.
Iraq 1958 AD onwards
It is the age of Rule of military, anarchy, revolutions, violence, insurgency, schism and civil wars in Iraq.
1958 Revolution – Iraq involved in 1948 Palestine-Israel war and opposed the Treaty of Egypt by president Abdal Nasser. Nasser launched a media campaign that challenged the legitimacy of the Iraqi monarchy. Inspired by Nasser, under the leadership of Brigadier Abd al-Karīm Qasim overthrew the Hashmite monarchy on 14 July 1958. King Faisal II was executed publicly. Arab world was pan-Arab in favor of uniting all Arab countries from middle east to North Africa while treaty of Egypt had given permission to allow British army to stay in Egypt and govern Egypt till it stands on its own.
1963 revolution (Ramadan revolution) – Abd al-Karīm Qasim was overthrown by army in this coup.
Ba’ath party in 1968-1979 – Ahmed Hassan Al-Bakr became the first Ba’ath President of Iraq. Ba’athism motto is Arab world unity, freedom from non-Arab control and interference. This movement started with high rise in economy but ended with social and political stagnation due to high and radical ideals which were difficult to achieve.
Iran-Iraq War (1979-1988) – The movement of Iraq Ba’ath party gradually came under the control of Saddam Hussein in 1979. Saddam’s first blunder was declaring war with Iran. Iran was undergoing a civil war by Ayatollah Khomeini (Shia) supporters to topple the US backed Shah Reza Pehalvi (Shia) Government . In 8 years war Iraqi Kurdish militias of the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) sided with Iran. There were two reasons of the war- one that Iraq claimed some adjoining parts of Iran which were supposed to be returned to Iraq by 1975 treaty. And second was that Saddam feared that Islamic revolution of Khomeni might be imported to Iraq. This war broke the backbone of Iraq economy and incurred huge human losses. About l.5 million lives lost. Also Iraq lost face to world due to usage of chemical weapons and deliberate attacks on civilians. Iraq killed more than 50,000 revolting Iraqi Kurds in this war.
1991 Iraq-Kuwait war (1st Gulf war)– Iraq thought that it has the rightful claim on Kuwait as Kuwait was part of Ottoman Empire under Basra Province. Remember same as was Singapore under British Empire and attached to Calcutta. Other reason of attack was that Kuwait was producing more oil than its allotted quota under OPEC which almost halved the prices. The war was short and did not have much impact on Iraq but some environmental effect of Kuwait population.
Kurdish revolt
Soon after end of this war the different ethnic groups, majorly Iraqi Kurds revolted against Saddam and in just two weeks captured many cities of Iraq. But Saddam suppressed this revolt brutally and thousands died in this operation.
USA attacks Iraq -2003 AD
In all these past events after 1958 of war Saddam was accused of using chemical weapons against Iran and its own country Kurds. Iraq had to pay this price after 9/11, 2001 WTC when USA pledged to end all terrorist groups and chemical and nuclear weapons. In March 2003, a United States-organized coalition invaded Iraq, under the pretext that Iraq had failed to abandon its weapons of mass destruction program.
Newer Insurgent groups born
A few Shia and Shunni ‘Jihadi’ groups created as after effects of USA and coalition forces attack in 2003. These groups targeted not only coalition forces but also Iraqi Government as they allowed the access to coalition forces. Sunni Jihadi group became Al-Qaeda in 2004 which targeted Shia, Iraqi Government and coalition forces.
In January 2005, the general elections were held but to very low turnout of Sunni. It was Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) a transitional government took office. The main task was to stop insurgency and writing new Iraqi law code. In 2006 Saddam was hanged. Since 2003 attack of coalition 1.2 million Iraqis killed.
Intermittent conflict between Sunni, Shi’ite and Kurdish factions has led to increasing debate about the splitting of Iraq into three autonomous regions, including Sunni Kurdistan in the northeast, a Sunnistan in the west and a Shiastan in the southeast.
Iraq has not been able to stand on its own feet since its freedom.
On top of all the difficulties Iraq was facing – that an uncalled for guest ISIS appeared on land of Iraq. This guest is an deep rooted orthodox born in Syria in 1999 with a notion that it will force its own rules “Sharia” in all Islamic countries. This terrorist group neither respects social values, women rights, boundary of country nor any sovereignty of country. They do not hesitate to behead any one for ransom or who are against their principles. This group has pulled down main stream of development of Iraq towards a modern and independence. UNO has declared his host as “human rights abuser”.
Since 2003 Iraq has been struggling with this uncalled for guest more vehement since 2014. Iraq and its people have paid enormous price due to ISIS insurgency. USA has destroyed this terrorist group in 2017 but still it lives like a virus in Islamic countries and trying to spread in India also. This group has offices in 18 countries like across the world, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mali, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines etc. USA has been trying to eradicate this guest with help of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Syrian Democratic Front (DSF) since 2014.
Civil war in Iraq (2014-2017) is brought by ISIS by capturing Ramadi, Fallujah, Mosul, Tikrit and in the major areas of northern Iraq and east Syria. At its height, ISIS held 56,000 square kilometers of Iraqi territory, containing 4.5 million citizens. This resulted in the forced resignation of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as well as a massive airstrike campaign by the United States and at least a dozen other countries, participation of American and Canadian troops (predominantly special forces) in ground combat operations.
All ethnic races, Kurds of Iraq, Turkman Muslims, Assyrian Christians, Armenian Christians, Yezidi are fighting against ISIS in Iraq. About 19000 Iraqi civilians were killed between 2014-2015, Though the civil was is declared ended ISIS is continuing insurgency and killings at lower scale.
Referendum for Independent Kurdistan
Sep,2017 referendum was conducted for this and 92% Iraqi Kurds voted in favor but this referendum was treated as illegal and Turkey launched military to eliminate Iraqi Kurdish separatist. PKK is a Kurdish Terrorist Organization carrying killings, suicide attacks, political and civil killings. This group is based in Syria and supports independent Kurdistan. It attacks both Iraq and Turkey. Turkey crosses border of Iraq and Syria to kill the terrorists. Turkey has already imprisoned PKK founder as life imprisonment.
2019-20 There are huge demonstrations in Iraq against unemployment, corruption, since 2003. In violence American air staff also was killed and USA accused Iran for backing up this violence against US Embassy. Currently cold war between Iran and Iraq is going on for Iran promoting violence against US in Iraq.
Epilogue
The major problems with Iraq is that it has not been able to maintain democratic process since its birth in 1963. The first two kings Faisal-I and Faisal-II faced coup for being puppet of West. Then it saw a long period of Military rule from 1958-2003 till Saddam. They are also facing the issue of Kurd revolts frequently, Shia-Sunni fights, Al-Qaeda, ISIS insurgency to establish “Sharia” and to topple the government for allowing foreign army. There have also been errors in decisions of attack on Iran and Kuwait when already Iraq was struggling with internal political instability and poverty. Since 2005 there are elections but still Kurd, insurgency issue remains the same. There is need of a strong, determined and honest democracy in Iraq today. The orthodox thinking and viewing religion above country are the two major hurdles in establishing democracy in Islamic countries. The day they understand the path progress will end backwardness and human rights, woman equality, pleasantness, brotherhood will awake. So far nothing is achieved by Iraq. The goals are empty.
Views: 316