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Editors Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel reject the “ancient hatreds” thesis.
PHOTO COURTESY AL HURRA
but not the sole source. “There’s also sectarianization from below,” he said. “There are sectarian entrepreneurs. There are imams and social formations that actually take the bait, or have their own sectarian agendas.” Hashemi also noted that sectarianism has been on the rise at the popular level since 1967, when the defeat of the Arab armies at the hands of Israel led to widespread disaffection with secular Arab nationalism and a corresponding revival of religious identities. While this may seem to suggest that modern-day leaders are not responsible for sectarianism, Hashemi ar-
Models wear Firyal al Kilidar fashions. MARCH/APRIL 2018
gued that authoritarian leaders, viewing politicized Islamist groups as rivals, have employed a strategy of sectarianization to delegitimize these groups and create scapegoats for the failures of their regimes. While one can debate the extent to which systems of government impact the development of sectarian sentiments, Hashemi and Postel hope readers of their book rethink simplistic narratives about the region. “Our book forcefully challenges the lazy Orientalist reliance on sectarianism as a catch-all explanation for the ills afflicting the Middle East today,” Hashemi said. “Sectarianism, in and of itself, fails to explain the current disorder and instability in the Middle East.” Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East is available from the Washington Report’s Middle East Books and More. —Dale Sprusansky
Iraqi Americans Enjoy a Journey Through Their Fashion History
Al-Diwan Al-Iraqi, an Iraqi American cultural organization in Washington, DC, hosted “A Historic Journey Through the Fashions of Mesopotamia,” on Jan. 14 at the Northern Virginia Cultural Center in Annandale, VA. Yasir Shallal, an Iraqi-American engineer, welcomed Iraqis to the fashion show, which, he told the Washington Report, brought together Iraqis living in DC, Virginia and Maryland, regardless of the political dif-
ferences they’ve left behind in Iraq. The AlDiwan Al-Iraqi vision is to build an Iraqi American Community Center that will provide social, cultural and educational services for all Iraqi Americans and build bridges of understanding and cooperation both within and outside their community. Iraqi-American poet Omar Alhadithi introduced Firyal al Kilidar, the former head of the Iraqi House of Fashion (Dar al-Azya Aliraqia), who described her own journey. In 1970 she was a hobbyist in the world of fashion. Today she is a cultural envoy, educating the world about Iraq’s rich history. In between, she and her team of skilled dressmakers produced handmade costumes inspired by Iraqi history. Kilidar’s designs, cuts and embroidery work reflect Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hatra and Islamic civilizations. Her vibrant garments aren’t for sale but travel the world in exhibitions. Kilidar’s fashion show helped the appreciative audience members take their own journey from ancient Mesopotamian images, to fashions from the vaults of museums, and ending in stunningly exquisite modern styles. For more information on future events visit <www.aldiwanaliraqi.org>. —Delinda C. Hanley
Ian Williams’ Latest Book: UNtold
The World Affairs Council and Just World Educational co-hosted a talk at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington, DC on Jan. 25 by Ian Williams, U.N. correspondent for the Washington Report since 1991. His latest book, UNtold: The Real Story of the United Nations in Peace and War, published by Just World Books, is a much-needed and engaging guide to the U.N. Since its founding in 1945, Williams said, the U.N. has been criticized, treated with respect, indifference or outrage by media. He should know. Williams has covered the U.N. since 1989, and he admitted it’s been hard to make the U.N. interesting. “The U.N. is like virtue— boring. People like scandal,” the writer said, “and you never hear about its successes.” According to Williams, the U.N.’s real role is to be the universal scapegoat: it’s responsible for the world, but it can’t deliver. Governments refer their hopeless cases to
WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
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