Religious Nationalism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Submitted by Mohammad Salih Mustafa to the University of Exeter As a Thes
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Religious Nationalism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Submitted by Mohammad Salih Mustafa to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ethno-Political Studies In August 2017 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. 1 Abstract This thesis explores a new political phenomenon in the Middle East - the reconciliation of nationalism and Islamism by Islamic political parties in the context of nation states. Although the concept of religious nationalism has been discussed substantially before, as for example in Juergensmeyer (1993: 40) where the author defines religious nationalism as “the attempt to link religion and the nation-state”, this work highlights that a new brand of religious nationalism has emerged in the Middle East as the result of the intertwining of nationalism and Islamism. The focus of this study is, therefore, on the development of religious nationalism in the continuously tumultuous region of the Middle East. The aim of this researchis to investigate whether Islamism in Kurdistan is limited by the politics of nationalism, which is an accentuated example for the whole Middle East region. Furthermore, it should be noted that many of the religious nationalists themselves have not yet fully acknowledged the existence of the trend of merging between Islamism and nationalism. For instance, although the position of the Muslim Brotherhood of Kuwait, during the liberation of their state from the Iraqi regime, is a clear example of religious nationalism, all other affiliations of this organisation around the world at that time viewed the military operation as a foreign occupation. Highlighting this historical juncture in the political life of the Middle East by studying the Islamism in the Kurdistan region helped to elaborate on this new type of politics exceptionally well. This is essentially due to the absence of a politically recognised nation state which renders Kurds to be particularly susceptible to various manifestations of nationalism. The key finding of this project was, therefore, the notion that Islamism in Kurdistan has become significantly framed by the politics of nationalism. 2 Table of Contents Abstract:.................................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements: ................................................................................................ 6 Acronyms: ................................................................................................................. 7 Introduction: ............................................................................................................. 8 Background of the study: ..................................................................................... 8 Significance of the Study: .................................................................................. 10 The Aim of the Study: ......................................................................................... 10 Structure: ............................................................................................................. 13 Part One .................................................................................................................. 15 Chapter One ............................................................................................................ 15 1.1 Introduction: .................................................................................................. 15 1.2 Background: .................................................................................................. 17 1.3 Scope of the Study: ...................................................................................... 20 1.4 Purpose of the Study: ................................................................................... 21 1.5 Rationale of the Study: ................................................................................. 22 1.6 Religion and Nationalism: ............................................................................ 24 1.6.1 Nation: ...................................................................................................... 24 1.6.2 Nationalism: .............................................................................................. 26 1.6.3 Religion and Nationalism: ......................................................................... 30 1.6.4 National Identity: ....................................................................................... 39 1.6.5 Religious Nationalism: .............................................................................. 41 1.6.6 Neo-Religious Nationalism: ....................................................................... 46 1.7 Islam and Nationalism: ................................................................................. 49 1.8 Kurds and Nationalism: ................................................................................ 58 Chapter Two ............................................................................................................ 62 Literature Review and Methodology ..................................................................... 62 2.1 Introduction: ................................................................................................ 62 2.2 Literature Review: ......................................................................................... 62 2.2 Methodology: .............................................................................................. 77 2.3.1 Participants: .............................................................................................. 77 2.3.2 Methods: ................................................................................................... 78 2.3.3 Rationale of the Research Method:........................................................... 81 2.3.4 Research Question and Hypothesis: ......................................................... 85 2.3.5 Pilot Study: ................................................................................................ 87 2.3.6 Materials: .................................................................................................. 88 2.3.7 Challenges: ............................................................................................... 89 Chapter Three ......................................................................................................... 91 3 3.1 Introduction: .................................................................................................. 91 3.2 Islam in Kurdistan: ........................................................................................ 92 3.3 Role of the Kurds during the Islamic Eras: ................................................. 97 3.4 Post Ottomans Empire: .............................................................................. 103 3.4.1 Collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Kurd: ...................................... 103 3.4.2 From Kurdish Religious Nationalism to Dichotomy into Religious or Nationalists: ..................................................................................................... 107 3.4.3 Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic awakening in Kurdistan: ...................... 113 3.4.4 Kurdish Nationalism and rise of Marxism and Socialism: ........................ 120 3.4.5 Kurds: Political Parties and Social Rebellion: ......................................... 126 3.4.6 Other Islamic movements and groups: ................................................... 126 3.4.5 Concluding Remarks: .............................................................................. 151 Part Two ................................................................................................................ 155 Chapter Four ......................................................................................................... 155 Kurdistan Region De-Facto and the Rise of Religious Nationalism ................ 155 4.1 Introduction: ................................................................................................ 155 4.2 From Revolution to Governing: ................................................................. 156 4.3 Kurdistan Front and 1992 Election: ........................................................... 159 4.4 Self-ruling and challenges: ........................................................................ 162 4.5 Struggle for Power and Civil War: ............................................................. 163 4.6 The Emergence of Kurdistan Islamic Union: ............................................ 165 4.6.1 the Raison d‟etre and role of the KIU: ..................................................... 166 4.6.2 The KIU and Political Outcome: .............................................................. 172 4.6.3 Elections: ................................................................................................ 173 4.6.4 Ethno-Politics and the KIU: ....................................................................