Iraqis celebrate their National Day these days, which coincides with the 90th anniversary of the country's liberation from British influence, and it is considered one of the largest and most important events in the modern history of Iraq.

After a long wait, Iraq decided in 2020 to choose the date of its independence, and the liberation from the British Mandate on October 3, 1932, a national day that the country celebrates annually.

Analyst and academic Aqil Abbas considered choosing this day, in the era of the Al-Kazemi government, to be the country's national holiday, as a correct and correct choice.

And he revealed - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that the delay in determining the national holiday caused embarrassments when Iraq was receiving official congratulations from many countries on July 17, which is the national holiday of the former regime.

And he indicated that long discussions took place within the corridors of the government, and included several options for the national holiday, including on August 23, the day of the coronation of King Faisal I in Baghdad in 1921, and some suggested the adoption of June 30, 1920, the day of the start of the Twentieth Revolution, but the quest was to search for A history that does not evoke sectarian or ethnic feelings in a country with many divisions.

Abbas pointed out that the proposal to consider April 9 a national day was rejected by most political forces, "despite the joy of many Iraqis overthrowing Saddam Hussein's regime, but in the end there is a foreign military force that invaded Iraq and overthrew an Iraqi government despite it being an unjust government." saying.

The reason for the delay in agreeing on a national day is attributed to the ongoing political conflicts since 2003, which produced governments that did not achieve political stability that allowed them to discuss these matters, and this is not limited to the National Day only, but includes the flag and the national anthem, and all symbols associated with the state.

The anniversary of the National Day comes in light of the many political and economic crises that Iraq is experiencing (Anatolia)

Celebration annoyances

For his part, writer and journalist Mahmoud al-Najjar said, "We as Iraqis look at this historic day, frankly, with a sad eye for what is happening in the Iraqi state, which was once the cradle of cultures and science, and which possesses the oldest historical civilization such as that of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians, Assyria and Babylon."

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Najjar expresses his deep regret at what the state is witnessing, since it has been experiencing major political crises, military coups, security problems, and foreign interference until 2003, "and the beginning of the state's complete collapse of its economic, political, security and social institutions." ".

Al-Najjar describes this day as a new alarm bell for the Iraqis to return to what they were during ancient history and the era of civilizations when they wrote the first laws for humanity, and that this occasion will be the beginning of a new reform project in Iraq.

The writer does not believe that the Iraqis consider this day a day of celebration because it has turned into a traditional and classic day, "and the Iraqi people are still looking for a decent and free homeland that protects freedoms and human rights and is led by loyal men who do not hand the country over to any other country trying to control and influence it."

Al-Najjar expressed his hope that the Iraqis will celebrate the National Day amid prosperous conditions in safety and peace, and a free and dignified homeland in which there will be real political representation of loyal patriotic youth specialized in the fields of politics, law, media and economy, hoping that they will change the situation in the coming years.

Some have suggested that Iraq's national holiday be on August 23, the day of the coronation of King Faisal I in Baghdad in 1921 (Getty Images)

Iraq's independence

In turn, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Dr. Alia Al-Zubaidi, says that Iraq gained its independence amid difficult circumstances, and after a long journey of struggle that began since the Twentieth Revolution.

She adds to Al Jazeera Net that Iraq, after its independence, got rid of the burden of the British Mandate, and became the 57th country in the world with complete independence and powers in accordance with international law after 12 years of submission to the Mandate.

He pointed out that Iraq at that time began to draw a new ruling map to get rid of the influence of the British Mandate, despite the varying desires and aspirations of the people, and had it not been for the rule of the Hashemites, as well as the rule of Prime Minister Nuri al-Said, Iraq would not have been able to reach this stage of founding and achieving independence by entering the League of Nations.

Al-Zubaidi praised the achievements of the first ruler of Iraq from 1921 to 1958 through many achievements, foremost of which is the unification of the country, the installation of its Abbasid capital Baghdad, and the restoration of the Wilayat of Mosul from Turkey "thanks to the cunning of Iraqi negotiators in the royal era."

On the reason for the continuation of international interference in the country’s affairs despite the passage of decades since its independence, Al-Zubaidi attributes this to the abundance of Iraq’s bounties, especially oil, which turned from a blessing to a disaster, causing colonial countries to scramble for it.

The Iraqi government was late in agreeing on the National Day due to differences between the political parties (Anatolia)

blur independence

Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Dr. Saad Nassif Jassim Al-Jumaili, believes that between the date of the founding of the state and the celebration of the day when Iraq became independent for 11 years, and between the two dates is a lost space of time and effort, which passed on the state celebrating its centenary national day without any preparations, in an event that does not It happens twice in a people's lifetime.

He adds to Al Jazeera Net that the birth of the Iraqi state and its presence in the international arena, in this international political forum represented by the League of Nations, wanted to disarm the warring countries in the early twentieth century.

Al-Jumaili notes that - for nearly half a century - the republican era governments neglected the celebration of the "Iraqi National Day" on October 3, 1932, and highlighted the major revolutions in 1920, 1941 and 1958 on the political achievements made during the periods of the monarchy.

He attributes the reasons for not mentioning this date to its direct connection with British colonialism, which was determining the dimensions in the independence process, and that Iraq did not actually possess sovereignty and real will even after achieving that alleged independence. However, this does not prevent us from saying that the “Iraqi National Day” presented This is due to the revolutionary tendency and the strictness of national concepts.

Iraq has gone through many historical turning points and turns, the accumulations of which were reflected in drawing the situation of the country today (Anatolia)

Important stations

Over the past nine decades, Iraq has gone through many notable historical turning points and turns, the accumulations of which were reflected to chart the state of the country today.

About that, history professor Bashar Fathi Al-Akedi recalled the first stops of this history, which is the establishment of the Iraqi government in 1921, and the subsequent agreements and treaties with Britain, leading to full independence in 1932, and Iraq’s entry into the League of Nations and considering it an independent, sovereign state.

He adds to Al Jazeera Net that after the occupation of Iraq by Britain in 1918 and then the imposition of the mandate system on it later, all of Iraq's political, economic and military capabilities became in the hands of the British occupation forces, which burdened Iraq with many political agreements or treaties imposed on it, and King Faisal began The first was early attempts to get rid of British control, but the possibilities that were available at the time did not allow this.

Al-Akidi pointed out that the monarchy witnessed important stages until the establishment of the republic in 1958, and the country’s entry into a phase of coups and bloody struggle for power until 2003 and the subsequent events and repercussions.

Through his assessment of all the regimes of government that passed in Iraq, Al-Akedi believes that the most realistic of these stations was the monarchy, and despite all the negatives that accompanied it, it had a great external political influence, whether with Arab or foreign countries, in addition to most of the political figures that She worked in the monarchy, she was seasoned and relied on professionalism in her work, and perhaps the best evidence of that is the great influence of Iraqi foreign policy at the United Nations, of which Iraq is one of its founders in 1945.

Regarding the current stage that Iraq is going through, Al-Akedi stresses the need to be free from external dependence, and that the political decision should be in the hands of its people exclusively, in addition to the current politicians leaving the feeling of the opposition and being aware that they are the decision makers, which may pave the way for the start of a new page of political dialogue, away from interference Foreign Ministry to bring Iraq to safety.