Constructing National Identity in the GCC States, Iraq and Yemen: Governance, Participation, and Religious Tolerance

Workshop Concept:

This workshop aims to examine the ways in which all seven countries of the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq are grappling with issues of national identity, governance, and religious tolerance. By comparing similarities and differences across the region, the workshop will explore how questions of national identity, belonging, participation, and pluralism shape state-society relations.

In the GCC states, national identity is often tied to state-led projects that emphasize unity, modernization, and loyalty to ruling families, while at times marginalizing minority groups or limiting avenues for political participation. In Iraq, the push for a national identity is led by a younger, comparatively well-educated segment of the population that positions itself in opposition to the Shia-dominated state. In Yemen, efforts at identity formation are shaped by deep historical divides, sectarian and tribal affiliations, and the challenges of building cohesion in the context of prolonged conflict. Across all eight states, the tension between state-centric identity projects and grassroots calls for inclusion highlights ongoing struggles over governance and religious tolerance.

Workshop summary and contribution to themes of the symposium:

Across the GCC, national identity has been promoted through narratives of economic modernization, heritage preservation, and state-driven definitions of unity. Yet, this process has often sidelined alternative identities rooted in sectarian, tribal, or indigenous traditions. Demands for greater civic participation, more equitable governance, and religious pluralism are frequently framed by states as challenges to stability or unity. At the same time, state-sponsored initiatives around tolerance and interfaith dialogue signal a growing awareness of the importance of religious coexistence to national identity formation.

In Yemen, the question of national identity remains highly contested, complicated by regional fragmentation, sectarian rivalries, and external intervention. Despite these challenges, local movements, particularly among youth, continue to press for inclusive governance, accountability, and recognition of Yemen’s pluralistic heritage. These movements underscore both the difficulties and possibilities of building an inclusive Yemeni identity amid conflict.

In Iraq, youth-led movements such as the 2019–2020 Tishreen protests revealed a growing demand for an inclusive national identity that transcends sectarian divisions and challenges entrenched political elites. These movements highlight how generational change and calls for accountability are reshaping debates on governance and participation, offering insights relevant to broader regional struggles over identity and state legitimacy.

By analyzing the GCC states, Yemen and Yemen together, this workshop highlights common challenges such as managing sectarian divides, balancing tradition with modernization, and reconciling state-led identity projects with popular demands for participation, as well as divergent trajectories shaped by local contexts. The comparative approach across all eight states provides a fuller picture of how national identity, governance, and religious tolerance are being negotiated in the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq, and what this means for long-term stability and state-society relations. We invite abstracts addressing the following topics, including but not limited to: 

1. Civic vs. Sectarian Nationalisms: Competing projects of “civic” nationhood versus sectarian/communal loyalties across the GCC, Iraq, and (or) Yemen, and how states narrate unity while managing religious difference.
2. Citizenship, Belonging, and Sectarian Inclusion/Exclusion: Bidoon status, naturalization policies, and the treatment of sectarian and religious minorities (e.g., Shia in the GCC, Ismailis; Christian/Hindu residents) as determinants of national belonging.
3. State Religious Authority, Ulama/Marja‘iyya, and ‘Tolerance’ Initiatives: How official Islam, clerical establishments (including Iraq’s marja‘iyya), and government-led interfaith/tolerance programs shape, and sometimes police, religious pluralism.
4. Youth Movements and De-Sectarianization: From Iraq’s Tishreen to Gulf youth councils and campus activism: generational claims for accountability, cross-sect solidarity, and a more inclusive national identity.
5. Yemen’s War and the Sectarianization of Identity: Houthi/Zaydi revival, Salafi and Islah currents, southern nationalism, and tribal/religious cleavages—prospects for an inclusive post-conflict identity.
6. Law, Personal Status, and Confessional Pluralism in Practice: Family law reforms, Ja‘fari courts, mosque regulation, anti-hate/blasphemy statutes, and their lived effects on inter-sect relations and women’s/children’s rights.
7. Sacred Space, Ritual, and State Control: Governance of Hajj/‘Umrah, Ashura/Arbaeen, and public religious rites; how managing sacred time/space informs national identity and sovereignty claims.
8. Digital Spheres, Curriculum, and Online Sectarian Speech: Textbooks, media regulation, and platform governance: producing “tolerant” national narratives while monitoring sectarian discourse and dissent online.