Kirkuk in Iraqi Narratives of Victimization and the Victimizer

Abstract

Narratives of victimization are a principal element in the making of subnational identities in societies afflicted by divisions and communal disputes. It is little wonder then that narratives of victimization abound in Kirkuk province, which lies at the heart of Iraq's “disputed internal areas” problem. This paper starts off by analyzing the nature of narratives of victimization and how they make use of the past in service of political projects spearheaded by political elites. It then turns to surveying and deconstructing the contending narratives propagated by communal elites in Kirkuk regarding the victimization, whether real or imagined, endured by the province's main demographic groups - Kurds, Turkmens, Arabs and Christians. By analytically surveying the narratives of victimization of these four communities, this paper seeks to ascertain the workings of these narratives and to explicate the role they play.