British Colonialism and Shi‘i Activism in Iraq: State Formation, Resistance, and Disenfranchisement
| Dates: | 9 May 2017 |
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| Times: | 16:30 - 18:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | School of Arts, Languages and Cultures |
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| Who is it for: | University staff, Adults, Alumni, Current University students, General public |
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| Speaker: | Dr Zackery Heern |
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This talk addresses Shi‘i activism as it relates to British imperialism in Iraq during and after World War One. Research for this paper is based on the writings of Shi‘i clerics and British officials as well as British government records. Creation narratives of the Iraqi state primarily focus on the activity of British imperialists, which diminishes the role played by Iraqis. Scholars, therefore, have conceptualized the Shi‘i experience in Iraq from perspectives of failure, victimization, and sectarianism. Instead of assuming that British imperialists single-handedly created Iraq, I argue that the strained relationship between British and Shi‘i officials played a decisive role in the formation of the Iraqi state. Shi‘i clerics ultimately rejected direct British rule in an attempt to assert their own authority in the power vacuum created by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Speaker
Dr Zackery Heern
Organisation: Idaho State University
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