Iraqi Tribes Become 'State within a State'

He added, “As firearms were invented, the dream of the Iraqi man has been to possess a weapon, as it is correlated with feelings of strength and survival.”

Hani Ashour, an Iraqi politician and author, told Al-Monitor, “The current phase, which is experiencing a social militarization, has caused firearms to seep into the tribes, and the growing role of tribes in society has caused them to compete with each other and to seek to show their force through firearms.”

For his part, Ahmed Jabbar Gharb, who follows social issues in Iraqi newspapers, said, “The phenomenon of firing guns is the result of backwardness and ignorance. It has moved from the countryside to the city, because of the cities’ ruralization policies, which were adopted by former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime, and which still remain in place.”

The attempt by governmental and political parties to recruit tribes for political events, to acquire votes in the elections and rally people in favor of one party or another, has caused the tribes to become “a state within a state,” where laws are powerless over their armaments, authority and power.

(Guns image via Shutterstock)