Download or read book Imagining the Nation: Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq written by Harith Al Qarawee and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2016-03-07 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down in Baghdad's Firdous square, Iraq was entering a new phase of uncertainty. This is a country whose history has been shaped by foreign occupations, authoritarianism, wars and violence. Its identity was always a matter of controversy. The incompatibility between Iraq as a territorial entity and the various cultural identities of its population made it more difficult for Iraqis to imagine their 'Nation'. This Identity Problem has been made worse by a political power which has always based itself on the hegemony politics of exclusion. Through a long journey in the historical processes and socio-political conflicts, the author tells the story of a country devastated by its legacy, seeking to reconcile with itself and re-imagine its nationhood.