Sunni participation in a Shi‘i-led Iraq: Identity politics and the road to redefining the national ethos

This article examines group membership and inter-group relations in Iraq through the prism of Sunni political participation in the post-2003 era. There has been much scholarly interest in this process of regime change, which has generally focused on the Sunni insurgency and the Shi‘i shift towards sectarianism. Less, however, is known about the Sunni leaders who cooperated with the new Shi‘i-Kurdish federation. These new Sunni players had little manoeuvring space to truly address the socio-economic challenges of a marginalized community. Their success lay in placing Sunnis on the political map of the new power-sharing system, thereby providing an alternative to militant separatism and political exclusivity and paving the way to legitimizing Sunni participation in the political process. Growing realism in the aftermath of the ISIS takeover and acceptance of a civic model may now lead to greater inter-communal cooperation based on professionalism and pragmatism. Understanding the limits of identity-based politics can contribute to the emergence of more cross-communal alliances based on a moderate Islamic outlook, broad affinity with an Arab heritage, and all-Iraqi inclusivity. This case illustrates that identity politics is not detached from power, interests, and majority-minority relations. Therefore, all of these components should be woven together to fully comprehend the role played by identity as part of the political dynamics.