Iraq seeks new 'authentic' national anthem, second after US invasion

Iraqi MPs have renewed efforts to replace the country's national anthem, reviving a long-running debate over national identity and whether religious or sectarian references should feature in any replacement.

The current anthem, Mawtini, has been used since the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion, but attempts to replace it have surfaced during almost every parliamentary term over the past two decades.

Last week, Yasser al-Saadi, an MP from the Sadiqoun bloc, the political wing of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, submitted a formal request signed by about 50 MPs calling for a committee to draw up proposals for a new anthem.

Iraqi writer and poet Ali al-Qaisi told The New Arab that changing the anthem was not necessarily a problem, but warned against introducing religious or sectarian symbolism.

"In Iraq there are more than 10 religions, sects and denominations, and there are three main ethnic groups," he said. "It must be an anthem that brings everyone together, like the current anthem."

Mr Qaisi said any replacement should be civic and national in its language and meaning, without favouring a particular religion or ethnicity.

The latest parliamentary proposal calls for poets, artists, academics and intellectuals to submit suggestions, with a specialist committee tasked with preparing a complete proposal.

Parliament has referred the request to the relevant committees, but no date has yet been set for a debate or vote.

A separate petition submitted a day earlier, and backed by MPs Raed al-Maliki and Mohammed Jassim al-Khafaji, called for a public competition among Iraqi poets and composers.

It said the anthem should reflect Iraq's history and the sacrifices of its people while remaining free from party-political considerations.

Neither initiative formally proposes a replacement.

However, Mr al-Saadi published a poem by a cleric in Najaf around the same time as he submitted his request, leading to speculation that it was being promoted as a possible alternative.

The poem begins with an appeal to the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates to strengthen unity among Iraqis and refers to the country's ancient history.

Mawtini, meaning "My Homeland", was written by Palestinian poet Ibrahim Tuqan and composed by Lebanese musician Mohammed Flayfel in 1934.

It was adopted in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, replacing Ard al-Furatayn, or Land of the Two Rivers, which had been the official anthem under his government.

The song celebrates the homeland, freedom and independence and rejects humiliation and subjugation. It has also long been associated with the Palestinian national movement and Arab liberation causes.

Critics of Mawtini argue that its lyrics do not specifically mention Iraq or its history and note that neither its poet nor composer was Iraqi.

Supporters say it has become part of Iraq's national memory after more than two decades and argue that its themes of freedom and dignity are more important than the nationality of its creators.

Attempts to find an Iraqi alternative have repeatedly failed.

In 2012, a literary committee considered works by prominent Iraqi poets including Mohammed Mahdi al-Jawahiri and Badr Shakir al-Sayyab.

One of the leading proposals was based on Jawahiri's poem beginning: "Peace upon the hills of Iraq, its two rivers, its banks and bends."

But the plan stalled amid disagreements between political blocs, including demands for religious references and calls for Kurdish, Turkmen and Syriac passages to be included.

A parliamentary vote was postponed in 2013.

The issue returned in 2019, when about 70 MPs proposed a song written by poet Asaad al-Ghurairi and composed by Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir. The Iraqi Writers' Union opposed the proposal and again backed Jawahiri's poetry instead.

Another attempt followed in 2021, when the government said it was considering changes to both Iraq's flag and national anthem, but the plan again failed to progress.

The recurring dispute reflects wider disagreements over how Iraq's diverse communities should be represented in national symbols.

Sunni Arab, Kurdish and Christian politicians have previously opposed attempts to introduce explicitly religious or sectarian references, arguing that any anthem should instead reflect a shared Iraqi civic identity.