Demographic Change and Social Cohesion In Post-Islamic State Iraq

Abstract

Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) brutally ruled over a population of eight million in Iraq and Syria. The group systematically persecuted and murdered tens of thousands of people of minoritized ethnicities and destroyed their houses and heritage, schools and hospitals, resulting in the displacement of an estimated three to five million people. In this article, we analyze the ongoing impact of the ISIS occupation on social cohesion in Iraq. Our report is based on interviews conducted with community representatives in the Nineveh Plains of the country's northwest. We focus on the dynamics of displacement and return in historically Christian, Assyrian-majority areas during and since the occupation. Our findings show that people's everyday experiences and senses of community in Nineveh are intertwined with adjusting to the recent population changes, which have redrawn ethnic minority/majority relations. The research illustrates that demographic change—which we define as shifts in ethnic composition—is a relevant consideration for policies that seek to foster social cohesion in post-ISIS Iraq. More broadly, the article highlights how post-conflict policy making benefits from research conducted directly with conflict-affected populations, as it reflects communities’ experiences.