Both my parents are Iraqi Arabs from Baghdad. They escaped Iraq in the early 90s during Saddam's infamous Faith Campaign, where both my relatively leftist dad and my shia mother both fell under some prosecution. They left to Syria and then got resettled in the US thanks to a UN program. I speak fluent Arabic and meet up every year with my extended family in Jordan or Turkey, as both countries are relatively safe for Iraqis.
AMA about Iraqi politics, Iraqi society and the general cultural and political state of the Arab World. I will answer a few questions directly, but I'll keep the rest for late night today as I will go on a long ass drive in an hour.
What was the Iraqi Republic of 1958-68 like?
My dad speaks of it as the golden age of modern Iraq. The British-imposed monarchy was finally deposed after sucking the nation dry for decades, and real grassroots activism and action was happening on a huge scale. Althrough autocratic tendencies took over and communists were brutally surpressed, we still experienced the growth of a decent welfare state that massively improved the lives of millions. Huge infrastructure projects and housing projects during that time basically lifted millions out of poverty. The political instability and the decisive defeat of "Arab socialism" in 1967 tanked the legitmacy of the project and accelerated the nation into the brutal Baathist hands sadly.
Thanks for the answer! I was also wondering how were the iraqi jews treated during this time period