اختلاف الهويات الأثنية في العراق و أثر العامل الخارجي في خلافاتها ما بعد 2003

الملخص EN

Because of its water abundance, fertility and temperate climate, Iraq has been an ideal direction for the emigrating tribes which sought proper situations for life.

Simultaneously, it has been an ideal target for invaders who sought power and wealth.

Accordingly, Iraq turned into a crucible where different nations have been melted to produce different identities.

These identities have had a long history of struggle as well as of cooperation.

This research attempts to categorize the Iraqi identities and the factors responsible for their emergence, strength and survival.

The research also aims to analyze the brutal sectarian conflict which erupted during the few years following the collapse of Ba'ath regime.

It is concluded that Iraqi identities could be divided into two main categories; primordial identities, which are old to the extent that their origins are not known (such as Mandean, and Yazidi), and socially constructed identities, which have been shaped through turning points in the history of the society (such as Shia and Sunnah).

The struggle among socially constructed identities is harder and more complicated than that among primordial ones.

Further, two factors are responsible for the dynamic of the sectarian conflict; the ideological characteristics of the ethnic group and the balance of political, human and military power among the groups.

The research does not underestimate the essential role played by the regional and global powers in escalating and complicating the ethnic conflicts which took place in a Iraq, especially after 2003.

Finally, the research argues that the creation of a strong national identity which is able to subordinate all the secondary identities is the only way by which Iraq can turn its ethnic diversity into strength in stead of weakness.