Afro-Iraqis and the politics of non-memory

Alkhudary, Taif ORCID: 0000-0003-0844-6456 (2024) Afro-Iraqis and the politics of non-memory. LSE Middle East Centre Paper Series (91). LSE Middle East Centre, London, UK.

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Abstract

This paper finds that the history and culture of Afro-Iraqis are absent from dominant discourses around Iraq’s history and its people. It argues that complicated processes, both volitional and unconscious, have worked to relegate the history of this marginalised community to the realm of ‘non-memory’. In other words, they have worked to create a ‘blank spot’ in collective memory but have not been able to erase the community’s history altogether. These processes include the refusal to publicly acknowledge racial discrimination in Iraq or its role in the slave trade. It is also the result of the legacy of long-entrenched stereotypes about the Black Other in the Middle Eastern imaginary, which has meant that it is taken for granted that the history and the culture of Afro-Iraqis lack importance for broader Iraqi society. In the face of non-memory, Afro-Iraqis have preserved their history and culture on a community level, through rituals, which have their roots in African religious practices. These allow Afro-Iraqis to connect with their ancestors and maintain a sense of community and spirituality. However, stigma and shame around the cultural practices of people of African descent and the death of knowledge keepers of these orally transmitted traditions continue to pose significant challenges to their preservation.

Item Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Official URL:	https://www.lse.ac.uk/middle-east-centre/publicati...
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Author
Divisions:	Middle East Centre
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races D History General and Old World > DS Asia H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Date Deposited:	16 Oct 2024 09:51
Last Modified:	16 Oct 2024 23:18
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/125779

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