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Iraq from the inside

Former Baghdad resident, NYU professor, Sinan Antoon, speaks on the ethics of war

By Erin Rice

Posted on Monday, April 7th, 2008, 12:00 am

Destruction of the Modern State of Iraq was the topic for last week’s Socialist and Marxist Lecture Series. Colonialism, sectarianism, orientalism and nationalism were a few of the issues mentioned in conjunction with the current conflict and to improve the understanding of what is happening in Iraq.

Guest lecturer, Dr. Sinan Antoon, was born in Iraq. He is a professor from New York University, and he received his bachelor’s degree from Baghdad University. He is now a citizen of the United States, and a poet, novelist and filmmaker.

Religious wars and conflicts did not always dominate politics in Iraq. Now, many religions and sects separate the people of Iraq, preventing the nation from standing on its own two feet.

Sectarianism was pinpointed as well as the belief that Iraq is not a real nation state.

“To understand the disintegration of society, you must understand other things. This is not about theology and religion, it is about material reality and how ethnic identities get transformed into political identities,” Antoon said.

The tendency to look at Iraq in a certain way feeds the idea of sectarianism. This is all a smaller part of the larger issue of orientalism.

“When we look at Iraq for example, we don’t study the events sociologically and politically and historically and economically that would lead to this disintegration,” Antoon said. “We get all this talk about how they have been fighting forever and the Sunnis and the Shiites.”

Social forces, events and the economy are crucial for realistic knowledge of the current state of affairs in Iraq.

“Unless you understand something about the culture, economy, it’s a very limited view,” UMaine professor Doug Allen said.

Colonialism was mentioned as having an effect in Iraq. Many Iraqis are being educated in the United States and return to take government positions where they take part in writing the new constitution and bringing western influence to the table.

Antoon called Iraq unlivable. Since the government cannot provide adequate utilities for its citizens, the people do not see a government. Religion steps in to fill the void in the chaos, and people are fleeing to other countries. As many as two million people left Iraq in the ’90s, a trend that still exists. Children and young adults are dropping out of school to work or join militias, further crumbling infrastructure.

Sponsored by the Maine Peace Action Committee, the lecture brought important concepts, ideas to the forefront of questions and misconceptions concerning Iraq. Dr. Antoon, “had very strong views,” Allen said. According to Peter Hagopian, an international affairs major, the lecture was, “excellent, informative and clearly presented.”