Not to mislead peace: on the demise of identity politics in Iraq

Abstract

By drawing on theories of transition to democracy, social value shifts and recent studies on Iraqi politics and society, this article offers a critical standpoint on the alleged demise/death of identity politics in Iraq. The article suggests that the sort of societal transformation that is indispensable to the demise of ‘aggressive sectarianism’, ethnic nationalism and the oppression of minority groups has not yet occurred. Any value changes favouring the consolidation of citizenship values and the formation of an Iraqi identity require, among other conditions, a stable, sustainable and steady move towards democratisation, good governance and a broader, often lengthy, process of social and economic transformations. The article therefore contends that any attempt at peace in the country necessitates addressing peace as (1) a fundamental matter of governance and (2) an everyday practice in the local terrain. Regarding state-building and governance, the article suggests that ‘rectifying’ the post-2003 trend may have adverse consequences should the process run in the direction of retreat from democracy and a rigid re-centralisation of the country. While Iraq’s ‘the local’, increasingly vibrant, its constructive impacts on formal politics and peacebuilding, remain uncertain.