Demographic Change and Social Cohesion In Post-Islamic State Iraq

Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State (IS) brutally ruled over a population of 8 million in Iraq and Syria. IS 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 3-5 million people. In this article, we analyse the ongoing impact of the IS occupation for social cohesion in Iraq. Our analysis is based on interviews conducted with community representatives in the Nineveh Plains, northeastern Iraq. Taking a case study approach, we focus on the displacement and return dynamics in historically Assyrian (Christian) majority places during the IS occupation, and their legacies since. Our findings show that people’s everyday experiences and sense of community in Nineveh are intertwined with adjusting to these recent population changes that have seen a re-drawing of ethnic minority/majority relations. Our findings illustrate that demographic change – which for this paper we define as shifts in the ethnic composition of a place – is a relevant consideration for policies that seek to foster social cohesion in post-IS Iraq. More broadly, our research highlights how post-conflict policymaking benefits from research conducted directly with conflict-affected populations as it allows to formulate policy that reflects communities’ lived experiences.