The future of Iraq and Syria looks uncertain to me, yet both countries have much potential if the leaders can accept to nurture what their nation states actually contain, i.e. a broad spectrum of people. If a centralised state is desired, a regime needs to encourage integration (without coercion), foster equal opportunities and support statehood participation by all citizens. Since their creation, during the mandate era, this has been a challenge for both Iraq and Syria.
The beginning of Iraq’s history saw some tribal groups under-represented by the country’s successive governments. The 2003 invasion might of somewhat corrected this issue, but nowadays some feel disenfranchised by the new regime.
In Syria’s history, there has been a lack of self-rule from the beginning, especially for the majority people. It is argued that the lack of experience in democracy led the country down the path of dictatorship (since gaining independence in 1946).
At the political level, the rule of the British Empire did not manage to effectively bring together the various peoples of Iraq, and the policies of the French Empire further divided the various regions of Syria. Today, both countries are challenged with establishing stability and safety, and to reach a political consensus amongst all peoples and regions.
Intervention from the United States of America has not really helped either. In Iraq, the Bush administration was short-sighted, it relied heavily on Nouri al-Maliki. Unity in his regime was short-lived: he turned a blind eye to the excesses of some of the militias (as long as they supported him). This in turn led to the rise of ISIS QSIS (al-Qaeda Separatists in Iraq and Syria).
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “St. John of Damascus”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-of-Damascus
Marsham, Andrew. “11 Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews and Others in the Umayyad Empire”. The Umayyad Empire, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2023, pp. 257-293. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781399527392-020
Arabian Misadventures 