Iraqi historian and diplomat Hussein Al-Hindawi has emphasized that Iraq existed as a country and society long before its modern state was established in 1921. According to Al-Hindawi, the roots of the Iraqi entity date back to long historical periods preceding the British occupation. He made these remarks during an interview with the Egyptian TV program "Al-Jalsa Sirya" on Al-Qahera News.
Al-Hindawi highlighted the 1920 revolution as a pivotal moment that embodied a sense of shared national belonging, with participation from Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, and various religious sects and denominations defending a country called Iraq. He stressed that resistance to British occupation was not based on confrontation between Arabs and non-Arabs but on a national basis that included different components of Iraqi society.
The Iraqi historian pointed out that the 1919 Najaf revolution and the 1920 revolution were key stations in Iraq's resistance to British occupation. He noted that demands for independence from the Ottoman Empire had emerged in Iraq decades earlier. Al-Hindawi also mentioned that the recognition of Iraq as an independent state in 1921 occurred within the context of developments following the British occupation.
Al-Hindawi discussed the establishment of the modern Iraqi state in 1921 within a British project linked to post-World War I political and military developments in the region. He explained that Britain chose King Faisal I to rule Iraq after his experience in Syria ended. The historian also touched on the Sykes-Picot Agreement, a secret pact between Britain and France that addressed multiple areas in the Middle East.
According to Al-Hindawi, King Faisal I began to develop a political vision more connected to the specificities of Iraqi society after moving to Iraq. This involved a shift from the discourse of an Islamic nation or Arab unity to a focus on the "Iraqi nation," reflecting an attempt to formulate a political identity suitable for Iraq's reality.
Al-Hindawi noted that the British project was not the sole factor in the development of the Iraqi state; internal transformations and Iraqis' aspirations for independence also played a role. He pointed out that some problems that appeared in Iraq after 2003 have historical roots dating back to the monarchical period, particularly regarding the balance of power and representation of various national and sectarian components within state institutions.
The historian discussed several critical events in modern Iraqi history, including the 1936 coup by Bakr Sidqi, the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. He emphasized that understanding contemporary Iraqi crises requires examining the roots of the state's establishment and the nature of the political system that emerged under it.
Key points
- The 1920 revolution in Iraq was a pivotal moment that embodied a sense of shared national belonging.
- The establishment of the modern Iraqi state in 1921 occurred within a British project linked to post-World War I developments.
- The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was an occupation driven by direct American interests in the Middle East.
