Clan conflicts in Iraq and their future effects

Ali Murad Al-Nasrawi

Preface

In general, the nature of Arab society often tends towards the nature of nomadism and is dominated by inherited social customs and traditions, some of which carry beautiful, well-known characteristics, such as courage, hospitality, good treatment, respect for the neighbor, help the weak, etc. At the same time, some of them tend to be violent and contradict developments in various Aspects of life and what the era of technology and modernity requires, which leads to a kind of collision between those who want to stay in the circle of clan customs and those who want to shift towards civil life and keep pace with the development taking place. Towards those customs and clan traditions, provided that they remain in rural or Bedouin areas, while ensuring that they do not violate the law. Either in urban areas, the law, will, and state apparatus prevail and apply to all individuals. In Iraq, the clans played a pioneering role at different times, whether in revolutions or uprisings, establishing security in some areas, helping the state to uncover some conspiracies, or with regard to the extradition of some wanted persons.

state and clan

In the equation of the state and the clan based on "when the state system weakens, the clan system becomes stronger with it, and vice versa." Throughout the history of contemporary Iraq, this equation has followed, with the exception of some cases in which the state resorts to the clan to gain its support, especially when dangers arise that may threaten the ruling regime from opposition political parties or Demonstrators from the people's slang, and on the other hand, some clans play a leading or supportive role in the revolution against some rulers. Moving to the post-2003 phase and the radical change in the various levels and aspects of political, economic and social life, leaving the dictatorial regime and going through a state of democratic transition, this change was accompanied by a kind of chaos that exacerbated the political, security and even social problems, while this weakness was accompanied by the structure of the state and the absence of law enforcement contributed to Increasing the influence of the clan. Therefore, many citizens turned to the clan with the intention of obtaining protection in light of the state’s inability to provide it for them, and the situation reached the senior officials, as some of them resorted to the clan in a dispute with each other, and perhaps this is a natural result of the weakness of the state system and the absence of law.

clan and society

The biggest problem is that clan customs and behaviors have moved to the cities, and this made it difficult, as some cities turned into a mini-clan that practices what it used to do in the countryside or remote villages, and some ministries or institutions have become the property of a particular clan according to the head or official of that institution or minister. He is the son of that clan, so he was nothing but to transfer his department or his ministry to the benefit of his clan, and the reason is either elective to win their votes or to obtain their support and suppress his opponents, as the situation reached “The clan is suing the state, and this case has happened a lot, so what do we explain the clan’s feet to hold a judge accountable because he ruled on One of its members is imprisoned for committing a specific violation?” Or how can a clan by force of arms control a certain department to arrest a person, let alone that the situation has reached the point of controlling a police station! And the release of those who are affiliated with it? Or that a clan takes blood money (tribal separation) from a doctor on charges of causing the death of one of its members, when the death is natural, which forces this doctor to either pay that blood money or migrate and flee? As for the problem of fighting between some clans, it happened without embarrassment until it came to the point of using heavy and medium weapons. These are risks and a security and social disaster. They also lead to terrorizing safe families and killing people who have nothing to do with the parties to the conflict, or blocking public and main roads. The argument is to search for members of the hostile clan knowing that they are They are not among those responsible, or they have no clan affiliations other than their guilt for their clan title in the identity of the civil status, while it has become a common scene on the faces of some homes, homes, and shops, the phrase “a clan wanted property that cannot be sold or bought,” or the demolition of homes, the displacement of families, the deployment of armed men in a specific area, or Clashes for several days between two clans, or taking a clan dismissal from some foreigners on charges of insulting a member of the clan.

Reasons for clan fighting

1- Political and security chaos at various levels, starting from the highest to the lowest authority. Otherwise, what does it mean for deputies or ministers to resort to the clan to hold accountable and dismiss their colleagues for defamation or verbal abuse, while they are the closest to understanding the role and duty of the judiciary?

2- Weak application of the law and the weakness of those in charge of it or their fear. Whereas the situation reached when the army or police intervened to arrest wanted persons on various charges, the clans of these detainees hold the security personnel accountable, which generated a state of fear of a recurrence of the situation.

3- Flirting with some officials of those undisciplined clans for electoral gains. He resorts to them when running for elections, and even covers their behavior.

4 - Lack of awareness and awareness of some of the tribal behaviors that offend society as a whole, especially in urban centers.

5- The flow of weapons of various kinds to the black market through several parties, and thus their flow to individuals or entire clans, in addition to the arming of some clans for several reasons, the most important of which is combating terrorism, while some of them go to the wrong hands or to conflict with other clans.

Here we are not going to criticize the clan system, but rather criticize some of the practices of those clans, especially those related to breaching the law and trying to break the prestige of the state, rivalry, fighting and sabotaging state institutions, while we desperately need to direct these holes towards terrorist organizations and not terrorize civilians who have no fault of their own. .

suggested solutions

The decision-maker must find solutions to these conflicts by imposing the law on everyone, arresting offenders, regardless of their affiliation, holding accountable those who fail to perform their duties, and protecting those who apply the law. The state has an army, law, and integrated apparatus that can deter the undisciplined. Therefore, some recommendations must be put in place, so that they may reach the minds of those who are at the level of responsibility. Among these recommendations are the following:

1- Imposing the law in a manner consistent with maintaining security and safety for all citizens, and deterring transgressors, regardless of their affiliation.

2- Carrying out security campaigns aimed at searching for weapons, especially heavy ones, in various areas of clan conflict, and holding their possessors accountable.

3- Holding accountable those who exploit the name of the clan to impose their will or threaten others, whether they are officials or ordinary citizens.

4- Work to strengthen the security services and deploy central forces specialized in ending clan conflict and arresting those responsible for it.

 5- The concerted efforts of clerics to prohibit such clan behavior and to conduct field tours to educate people, in addition to cultural and social awareness efforts. The issue is extremely dangerous and may worsen further in the post-ISIS phase, and it may move to the liberated areas with the absence of law and the rule of vengeance after the involvement of some of the clans of those areas during the organization’s control and joining it. Some cases of indiscriminate revenge also appeared in the liberated areas, so plans must be drawn up. appropriate to stop such a serious deterioration.