The College of International Studies at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) launched its “Speakers’ Lecture Series,” an open weekly event that brings the expertise of world-renowned scholars to students of international studies, primarily, but also to students in various specializations. The first of the series was a lecture by Professor Kamal Soleimani of the El Colegio de Mexico, who specializes in Islamic and Middle Eastern history and politics.
The theme of Prof. Soleimani’s lecture was the “interweaving” of Islamist and Nationalist thought, a process that began in the late 19th century with the advent of Nationalist influence, which prompted “reinterpretations of Islam in relation to ethnicity and Nationalism,” leading to the “blending of Islam with Nationalistic sentiment,” according to the Professor who maintained that “Islamists do not live in a different universe,” meaning that they “cannot live outside the ethno-National paradigm” which he sees as yet unchallenged by a “serious alternative.”
“Like all Nationalist states, Islamist states are exclusionary,” postulated Prof. Soleimani, citing especially the historical models of Turkey, from the Ottoman period to the modern state ruled by Islamists, as well as Iran, not only in its present Islamic Republic, but also under monarchy. He pointed out that these ethno-Nationalist Islamist states have historically combatted other predominantly Muslim ethnical groups and their languages, and were ambivalent towards the plight of other Muslims, such as the Uighurs and the Rohingyas, implying that Turkey and Iran prioritize geopolitical interests over Islamic solidarity.