Abstract
During the Ba’ath regime, Iraq underwent one of the most brutal political periods of its history. Since the very beginning of its establishment, the regime used violence to maintain control over the country. The Ba’ath party was the only official and legal party in the country; its ideology was forced on citizens, and every Iraqi individual had to adhere to the official philosophy and worldview, as any conflicting ideas would lead to severe punishment. The education system, cultural narratives, and history were reoriented and Ba’athized.1 Membership and full commitment to the party was compulsory among high school and university students as well as public servants, politicians, and journalists.2 Saddam Hussein positioned himself as the leader of the Ba’ath party in Iraq and therefore held sole authority over Ba’ath philosophy.3 In reality the party had no significance when compared to the person of Saddam Hussein, as the whole power and authority given to the Ba’ath party was only to facilitate and ensure “the President’s absolute political control and psychological hold over people’s lives.”4 During his time in power, Saddam Hussein established several loyal organizations that had full authority to investigate, detain, torture, and execute any Iraqi individual suspected of working against the regime.5
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© 2014 Dana Cooper and Claire Phelan
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Shabbar, F. (2014). Motherhood as a Space of Political Activism. In: Cooper, D., Phelan, C. (eds) Motherhood and War. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137437945_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137437945_12
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