The Other Iraq: Pluralism and Culture in Hashemite Iraq

The Other Iraqdeconstructs the notion that Iraq has always been a totalitarian, artificial state, torn by sectarian violence. Chronicling the rise of the Iraqi public sphere from 1921 to 1958, this enlightening work reveals that the Iraqi intellectual field was much more democratic and pluralistic than historians have tended to believe. The author demonstrates how Sunni, Shi'i, and Kurdish intellectuals effectively created hyphenated Iraqi identities, connoting pride in their individual heritages while concurrently appropriating and integrating metaphors and narratives typical of the Arab national discourse. Illustrating the three developmental stages of Iraqi intellectual history, she follows Iraqi intellectuals' changing roles, from agents of democracy, to specialists who analyze the population, to deeply entrenched members of society committed to change. Based on previously unexplored material, this eye-opening work will have significant contemporary implications.

Orit Bashkin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago.