Secularism in Iraq

Secularism is the belief that religion should not be involved with the ordinary social and political activities of a country.

Introduction

There seem to be some pro-secularism political movements in Iraq. The country's politicians have been turning deaf hear to the promotion of secularism in the region. One of the reasons for the rise of religious (and religious identity) politics in Iraq after the 1958 coup in which the Hashemite monarchy was overthrown—are numerous and complex. Some of the main factors that may lie behind the demise of secularism and the rise of Islamism include: the failure and brutality of secular governments, including that of Saddam Hussein; the suppression of religious political movements; successive wars; international sanctions and their effect on society at large; the Saddam Regime’s "Faith Campaign" in the mid-90's during which the regime attempted to pacify the population struggling under the harshness of international sanctions by promoting religion; and the lack of public political discourse.

In the aftermath of the 2003 US invasion and the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime, the US Administration, represented by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), also played a role in establishing a sectarian and religious political system by entrenching religion in the new political system through quotas and, in some cases, promoting sectarian and divisive political actors, rather than appointing secular representatives who would be welcomed by both sides. The CPA, for example, appointed members of the Iraqi Interim Governing Council based on sectarian divides, rather than from a completely secular perspective, appointing competent actors while also ensuring diversity.

References

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