Compulsion in religion Saddam Hussein, Islam, and the roots of insurgencies in Iraq
By: Helfont, Samuel.
Publisher: New York Oxford University Press 2018Description: ix, 290p.ISBN: 9780190843311.Subject(s): Politics and government -- Hussein, Saddam, 1937-2006 -- Islam and state -- Islam and politic -- IraqDDC classification: 322.10956709049 Summary: Samuel Helfont draws on extensive research with Ba'thist archives to investigate the roots of the religious insurgencies that erupted in Iraq following the American-led invasion in 2003. In looking at Saddam Hussein's policies in the 1990s, many have interpreted his support for state-sponsored religion as evidence of a dramatic shift away from Arab nationalism toward political Islam. While Islam did play a greater role in the regime's symbols and Saddam's statements in the 1990s than it had in earlier decades, the regime's internal documents challenge this theory. The "Faith Campaign" Saddam launched during this period was the culmination of a plan to use religion for political ends, begun upon his assumption of the Iraqi presidency in 1979. At this time, Saddam began constructing the institutional capacity to control and monitor Iraqi religious institutions. The resulting authoritarian structures allowed him to employ Islamic symbols and rhetoric in public policy, but in a controlled manner. Saddam ultimately promoted a Ba'thist interpretation of religion that subordinated it to Arab nationalism, rather than depicting it as an independent or primary political identity.| Item type | Current location | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Books
|
NASSDOC Library | 322.10956709049 HEL-C (Browse shelf) | Available | 50687 |
Browsing NASSDOC Library Shelves Close shelf browser
|
|
|
|
|
No cover image available |
|
||
| 322.10954 VIJ-; Rajniti ke upekshit prashan | 322.10954 WIL; Will secular India survive | 322.10954 ZAV-; Hindu nationalism and Indian politics | 322.10956709049 HEL-C Compulsion in religion | 322.10959 SEC- Secularism, Religion and Democracy in Southeast Asia | 322.40954 ANI-S Science of satyagraha | 322.40954 GAN- Gandhian way: peace, non-violence and empowerment |
Include Bibliography and Index
Samuel Helfont draws on extensive research with Ba'thist archives to investigate the roots of the religious insurgencies that erupted in Iraq following the American-led invasion in 2003. In looking at Saddam Hussein's policies in the 1990s, many have interpreted his support for state-sponsored religion as evidence of a dramatic shift away from Arab nationalism toward political Islam. While Islam did play a greater role in the regime's symbols and Saddam's statements in the 1990s than it had in earlier decades, the regime's internal documents challenge this theory. The "Faith Campaign" Saddam launched during this period was the culmination of a plan to use religion for political ends, begun upon his assumption of the Iraqi presidency in 1979. At this time, Saddam began constructing the institutional capacity to control and monitor Iraqi religious institutions. The resulting authoritarian structures allowed him to employ Islamic symbols and rhetoric in public policy, but in a controlled manner. Saddam ultimately promoted a Ba'thist interpretation of religion that subordinated it to Arab nationalism, rather than depicting it as an independent or primary political identity.
There are no comments for this item.