Why Iraqis living under the Islamic State fear their liberators
While the Iraqi military and its allies may be slowly retaking cities from the Islamic State in the Sunni-dominated areas of Iraq, most Iraqi Sunnis fear and distrust the forces that are “liberating” them from those militants. But what do the majority of Iraqis want for their country’s future? A recent study sheds light on […]Munqith al-Dagher and Karl Kaltenthaler write for The Washington Post:
While the Iraqi military and its allies may be slowly retaking cities from the Islamic State in the Sunni-dominated areas of Iraq, most Iraqi Sunnis fear and distrust the forces that are “liberating” them from those militants. But what do the majority of Iraqis want for their country’s future? A recent study sheds light on this, painting a picture of an Iraq deeply divided by sectarianism.
Iraqi polling firm IIACSS conducted a series of national and sub-national polls of Iraqis using scientific sampling techniques in all areas of Iraq, including areas controlled by the Islamic State, since June 2014. The results of these polls and more recent IIACSS national polls, carried out in the last few months, show that Sunni and Shiite Iraqis view the security situation in their country through very different lenses. These lenses are colored by sectarian identity.
