After doing some more research about my monument, I have changed my research questions significantly. Now the main focus of my questions is how does this monument exemplify the Iraqi identity (or lack thereof)?
Iraq is a country filled with various different ethnic groups (Shi'ites, Sunnis, and Kurds), mainly because it was "created" in 1920 when the British merged two regions of the former Ottoman Empire together. Because these ethnic groups have so many differences, there had always been tensions in Iraq. After being an independant nation since 1932, one has to wonder why the people of Iraq are still divided and have not yet developed a national identity?
The Hands of Victory can help us understand this because it shows the effect authoritarian regimes have had on the Iraqi people. This monument, meant to symbolize the Iraqi victory and be a form of nationalism, contains Saddam Hussein's fingerprints rather than representing the nation. This makes me wonder what effect does national art geared towards one person have on developing the identity of a large, diverse group?
This monument is very controversial today because the Iraqi government wants it to be torn down so they can start a new country with a blank slate, but the U.S, government isn't allowing this. This leads to the question what role has Western influence played in shaping the Iraqi identity?
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