Secularism in modern Iraq dates back to the 14 July Revolution of 1958 which overthrew the Kingdom of Iraq's Hashemite dynasty and established the Iraqi Republic. [1] Islam is the official state religion of Iraq, but the constitution, guarantees freedom of religious belief and practices for Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and Sabean-Mandaeans. [2]
The secular Iraqi Communist Party was the country's largest movement between the 1940s and 1960s, and was founded by activists from different backgrounds. [3]
Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Iraqi society has experienced crises in its transition from a strong centralized state under the secular Baʿth Party to a state dominated by Shia Islamist parties. [4] In particular sectarian violence increased dramatically. [5] In 2006, OpenDemocracy reported that the regime change had damaged the secularism of Ba'athist Iraq. [6] The emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq presented a challenge to secularism. [7]
Since the end of the War in Iraq, secularism has grown in the country. [8] In 2010, it was reported that Iraq was moving towards secularism. [9] The growth of a secular, non-sectarian middle class has been seen. [10]
