This session has been rescheduled for the 2022 MESA Annual Meeting; date and time to be determined

The Stubborn Persistence of Lines Drawn in the Sand: One Hundred Years of Statehood and What it means to Be Iraqi

TARII’s Special Session at the MESA Annual Meeting

There is a common stereotype that Iraq is an artificial country, born out of colonial deal making, its borders merely “lines drawn in the sand.” Yet 100 years after the official creation of the Iraqi state during the Cairo Conference, under the chairmanship of Winston Churchill, Iraq still exists, despite several regime changes, decades under brutal dictatorial rule, and seemingly endless devastating wars, both civil and international. State violence and instability have displaced countless Iraqis inside and beyond the borders of the state. Most recently, the US-led invasion and the rise of Da‘sh have shattered the foundations of Iraq, cutting deep sectarian rifts into the social fabric. Yet despite this bleak outlook, a new generation of Iraqis recently took their fate into their own hands, both women and men, and staged a protest movement in the country’s major cities with an explicit commitment for a future Iraq as a nation for its people, regardless of ethno-sectarian background. The goals of the protest movement reflect the feelings of many generations of Iraqis, both in and outside the country, who worked tirelessly in the past to formulate an ethos of shared Iraqiness, negotiating a common space in the vibrant public sphere of a country that was shaped by conflict-laden yet creative and productive interactions in literature and poetry, in media, music, political parties, in art and architecture, in academia, and in a deep appreciation for the incomparable heritage of the country. For these women and men, the wealth of Iraq’s diversity is what continues to hold the country together against all odds.

Dr. Dina Khoury, George Washington University, Session Chair

Presenters:

Dr. Nadje Al-Ali, Brown University

Dr. Sinan Antoon, New York University

Dr. Qussay Al-Attabi, Kenyon College

Dr. Zainab Saleh, Haverford College

Dr. Nada Shabout, University of North Texas

Registration for the Middle East Studies Association’s Annual Meeting is required to attend this event. This year’s meeting will take place in Denver, Colorado with registration required by September 15.