- News Analysis - Special Reports - Arts & Culture Since the
2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, there has been a significant
increase in inter-ethnic and inter-religious violence among
Iraqis. This paper seeks to understand why this violence is
taking place in a country with a relatively strong history of
tolerance for its religious and ethnic diversity. The acceptance
of ethnic and religious pluralism – the existence of a variety
of religious and ethnic groups – is critical for stabilizing
Iraq. An overview of the history of Iraq, from Mesopotamia to
the post-Saddam era, illustrates a pattern of tolerance turned
to violence as a result of both external actors and internal
processes following the U.S. Invasion. The literature on
pluralism is discussed to understand the role of predominantly
Christian faith-based aid organizations as unregulated external
actors that were given disproportionate access in Iraq and
consequently contributed to the current levels of violence
against Iraq’s Christian minority. Internal