LAUSR

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, a new order came to light in the Arab Middle East, based on the dissolution of the empire on the one hand, and the emergence of states meant to represent the people around a common history, culture, and territory, on the other hand. In all plural societies of the region, the concepts of “majority” and “minority” became instrumental in defining political representation. Accordingly, a series of postwar treaties and declarations intended to protect minorities were established, under the auspices of the League of Nations. In the post-Ottoman context, while the concepts of millet and taʾifet were eventually replaced by that of “minorities” at different stages of the 20th century, the process was neither natural nor unanimous. This contribution seeks to examine the process by which various nondominant groups in newly-created Hashemite Iraq responded to the new order, with a focus on the minoritization of the Jewish community.