Look At ‘Little Iraq’ Shows Why Iraq Is So Troubled

As is usual for violence in Iraq, no one knows exactly who did this. But most locals will speculate on the same point: “its people from the outside who want Bashiqa”. Nobody knows exactly who might want Bashiqa enough to bomb it but the locals think it’s someone from either Baghdad or Erbil – that is, Iraq or the semi-autonomous state of Iraqi Kurdistan – trying to push them one way or another. Who is pushing and which direction they’re pushing in remains unclear though – to the locals at least.

Bashiqa has often been described as ‘Iraq al msagher’ or ‘the little Iraq’ because of its diverse population. And as such, it has become a microcosmic example of the most contentious issues facing the greater nation: federalism, disputed territories, security, energy and identity politics.

Historically, Bashiqa has been a peaceful town, out of the reach of antagonistic politics and policies. Mostly this is due to strong local identity and deep communal ties among the population. It is a diverse community: the town centre is mixed Yazidi, Christian and Sunni Muslim, with Yazidis making up the large majority at 70 percent. The Shabak ethnicity – about 100,000 of them - makes up 90 percent of the population of the hinterlands around Bashiqa, that they share with Christians, Kurds, and Arabs.

Local Yazidis call Christians ‘qreeb’ and Muslims ‘qreef’, both meaning ‘blood brother’. The Shabak are also referred to by urban dwellers of Bashiqa as “our brothers”.

Most local music, poetry, dance, food and clothing is not affiliated with one group but rather with the town – they are Bashiqi traditions. Their language - Bashiqi Arabic - is also unique.

Additionally, all over Iraq, the name Bashiqa is fondly associated with the local drink, arak, because until 2003 the area was the main supplier of this potent alcohol to the entire country. Many people from Mosul and Ninawa go to Bashiqa to drink and relax. In fact, the bombs that exploded on the night of Oct 31 were outside a popular local bar frequented by these visitors.