Iraqi State Propaganda Brochure, Who Are the Iraqis?

This Iraqi state propaganda brochure, titled Who Are the Iraqis?, was produced by the Iraqi Media Center in Amman in 2003. Designed by Firas Jalal Al-Najar, the folded piece presents a nationalist and civilizational defense of Iraq under Saddam Hussein, pairing images of Saddam, Mesopotamian antiquity, religious devotion, and the “Grand National Faith Campaign” with English and Arabic slogans intended to frame Iraq as ancient, faithful, cultured, and politically unified.

Year: 2003

Language: Arabic and English

Country: Iraq and Jordan

Publisher: Iraqi Media Center, Amman

Designer: Firas Jalal Al-Najar

Format: Folded brochure, color printed, multi-panel

Conflict and War: Iraq War

Operation: Operation Iraqi Freedom context, but this is an Iraqi state propaganda item, not a Coalition leaflet

Translation: The front asks, “Who are the Iraqis?” in Arabic and broken English. Interior English captions include: “The Grand National Faith Campaign is a pioneering experience and a blessed process,” “His Excellency the mujahed leader President Saddam Hussein, Baghdad,” “Leader of the faithful people with a faithful child,” and “By the Pen, and what they inscribe.” The Arabic and English panels present Iraq as a faithful, ancient, and culturally rooted nation.

Objective: To promote Ba‘athist Iraqi national identity under Saddam Hussein during the Iraq War period, emphasizing Iraq’s antiquity, Islamic faith, cultural continuity, and loyalty to Saddam. The brochure appears intended to counter Coalition messaging by presenting the Iraqi state as religiously legitimate, historically rooted, and nationally unified.

Imagery: The brochure combines a portrait of Saddam Hussein, an ancient Mesopotamian-style head, religious imagery connected to the Faith Campaign, images of Saddam praying and greeting a child, Quranic and literacy motifs, and English-language panels describing state religious and educational activities. The design links Saddam’s rule to Iraqi antiquity, Islam, literacy, and national continuity.

Condition: Good condition. Folded brochure with visible fold lines, light surface creasing, handling wear, and minor edge wear. Color images and text remain legible.