Sunni Islam in Iraq () is the second-largest sect of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
in
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
after
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
. The majority of Iraqi
Sunni Muslims
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...
are
Arabs
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
with the second largest being
Kurds
Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
. Iraqi Sunni Muslims mainly inhabit the western and northern half of Iraq. Sunni Arabs primarily inhabit the
Sunni Triangle
The Sunni Triangle is a densely populated region of Iraq to the north and west of Baghdad inhabited mostly by Sunni Muslim Arabs. The roughly triangular area's points are usually said to lie near Baghdad (the southeast point), Ramadi (the southwes ...
,
Upper Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia constitutes the Upland and lowland, uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. Since the early Muslim conquests of the mid-7th century, the regio ...
and the desert areas, such as
Al-Anbar Governorate
Al Anbar Governorate (; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The population ...
in the
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert () is a vast desert wilderness in West Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula with an area of . It stretches from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It is the fourth largest desert in the ...
and
Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert ( ''Bādiyat Ash-Shām''), also known as the North Arabian Desert, the Jordanian steppe, or the Badiya, is a region of desert, semi-desert, and steppe, covering about of West Asia, including parts of northern Saudi Arabia, ea ...
. The Sunni Kurds inhabit the mountainous
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan () refers to the Kurds, Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of the four parts of Greater Kurdistan in West Asia, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey (Northern Kurdist ...
region.
In 2003, the United States-based Institute of Peace estimated that around 95% of the total population of Iraq were Muslim, of which Sunnis made up around 40%. A
CIA World Factbook
''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print ve ...
report from 2015 estimates that 29–34% of the population of Iraq is Sunni Muslim.
According to a 2011 survey by
Pew Research
The Pew Research Center (also simply known as Pew) is a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world. It als ...
, 42% of Iraqi Muslims are Sunni.
There were about 9 million Sunni Arabs, 4.5 million Sunni Kurds and 3 million Sunni Turkmens in Iraq, according to a report published in 2015.
Sunni Iraqi Arabs are often mistaken by outsiders as simply a religious group but constitute a distinct Arab people that claim ties to the
ancient Assyrian and
Mesopotamian
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary o ...
heritage of the region they inhabit that is distinct from other Mesopotamian heritage found in Iraq. Sunni Arabs primarily reside in the historic regions of
Al-Jazira
Jazira, al-Jazira, Jazeera, al-Jazeera, etc. are all transcriptions of Arabic meaning "the island" or "the peninsula".
The term may refer to:
Business
* Jazeera Airways, an airlines company based in Kuwait
Locations
* Al-Jazira, a traditional ...
and
Upper Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia constitutes the Upland and lowland, uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. Since the early Muslim conquests of the mid-7th century, the regio ...
, this area has long been culturally and socially separate from the now Shia-majority southern Iraq, historically known as
Babylonia
Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...
or
Sawad
Sawad was the name used in early Islamic times (7th–12th centuries) for southern Iraq. It means "black land" or "arable land" and refers to the stark contrast between the alluvial plain of Mesopotamia and the Arabian Desert. Under the Umayyad ...
, which, while remaining strongly Arab, has stronger
Persianate
A Persianate society is a society that is based on or strongly influenced by the Persian language, culture, literature, art and/or identity.
The term "Persianate" is a neologism credited to Marshall Hodgson. In his 1974 book, ''The Venture of I ...
roots compared to Sunni areas (most recently contributed by the rule of the
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from Safavid Iran, 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder em ...
). Sunni identity in Al-Jazira also reflects
Arabian
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
tribal traditions, following the
Arab conquest of Mesopotamia
The Arab conquest of Mesopotamia was carried out by the Rashidun Caliphate from 633 to 638 AD. The Arab Muslim forces of Caliph Umar first attacked Sasanian territory in 633, when Khalid ibn al-Walid invaded Mesopotamia (then known as the Sasa ...
and newer Ottoman-era connections to
Levantine,
Eastern European
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountains, and ...
and
Balkan
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
cultures, contributing to a cultural background with different influences to that of the Shia-majority regions of the south.
History
In the early Islamic period, Iraq was a key center of the
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
, with the city of
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
serving as its capital from the 8th to the 13th century. Sunni Arabs played a significant role in the administration (including the ruling
Abbasid dynasty
The Abbasid dynasty or Abbasids () were an Arab dynasty that ruled the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 1258. They were from the Qurayshi Hashimid clan of Banu Abbas, descended from Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. The Abbasid Caliphate is divid ...
) and cultural life of the caliphate, and many important figures of Islamic scholarship and literature emerged from Iraq during this time and during the
Islamic Golden Age
The Islamic Golden Age was a period of scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing in the history of Islam, traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century.
This period is traditionally understood to have begun during the reign o ...
.
During his reign,
King Faisal I was keenly aware that his power-base was with the Sunni Arabs of Iraq, who comprised a minority.
[Masalha, N "Faisal's Pan-Arabism, 1921–33" pages 679–693 from ''Middle Eastern Studies'', Volume 27, Issue # 4, October 1991 page 679.] Iraqi Sunni Arabs were also the backbone of
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
's
Ba'athist Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq, officially the Iraqi Republic (1968–1992) and later the Republic of Iraq (1992–2003), was the Iraqi state between 1968 and 2003 under the one-party rule of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region, Iraqi regional bra ...
regime. President Saddam Hussein, greatly boosted Sunni political influence over the country and alleviated many Sunni communities. He is commonly seen as a heroic figure among Sunni Arab communities across Iraq despite the controversy surrounding him in other parts of the country.
Nouri al-Maliki
Nouri Kamil Muhammad-Hasan al-Maliki (; born 20 June 1950), also known as Jawad al-Maliki (), is an Iraqi politician and leader of the Islamic Dawa Party since 2007. He served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014 and as Vice President ...
's Shia-led government repressed Sunnis, stressing the Sunni Arab tribes' favourable disposition towards the
Islamic State
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
, although they did not share the
Salafist
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retur ...
beliefs. A number of Sunnis have now taken up arms against the Islamic State to stop its attempts at establishing hegemony.
In a survey in 2015, only 13 percent of Iraqi Sunni Arabs believed that their central government in Baghdad was heading in the right direction.
Due to continued repression by the Shia-led government, Sunni
Islamist and
Ba'athist
Ba'athism, also spelled Baathism, is an Arab nationalist ideology which advocates the establishment of a unified Arab state through the rule of a Ba'athist vanguard party operating under a revolutionary socialist framework. The ideology ...
armed groups such as the
Naqshabandi Army took up arms against the government during the
2012–2013 Iraqi protests. This led to the
2013 Anbar campaign and beginning of the
War in Iraq
This is a list of wars involving the Republic of Iraq and its predecessor states.
, style="background:#F88" , Coalition of Gulf War, Coalition victory
* Kuwait, State of Kuwait resumes self-governance over all Kuwaiti sovereign territory
* Esta ...
against the
Islamic State
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
which lasted until December 2017.
Identity and separatism

Sunni Iraqis, often regarded as a distinct ethnosectarian group, have deep historical roots in Iraq's political order. Sunni dominance was reasserted in the region after the Sunni-dominated
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
removed Iranian political control in the 16th century following the
Ottoman–Safavid War, restoring Sunni rule and embedding it within the administrative and religious structures of Iraq for centuries.
In the modern era, particularly under the Ba'athist regime, Sunni Arabs were portrayed in propaganda as the closest to the rest of the Arab world, fostering unity between Iraq and the rest of the Arab world. This benefited the Sunni minority as Iraqi identity was pushed to be closely tied to
Arab socialist and
Pan-Arabist ideologies, heavily influenced by
Nasserist
Nasserism ( ) is an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the two principal leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and Egypt's second President. Spanning the domestic a ...
views originating in revolutionary Egypt. The pre-2003 Iraqi state reflected Sunni norms and culture, positioning Sunni Iraqis as the standard of national identity and enforced during Shia revolts against the state, such as the
1991 Iraqi uprisings
The 1991 Iraqi uprisings were ethnic and religious uprisings against Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime in Iraq that were led by Shia Arabs and Kurds. The uprisings lasted from March to April 1991 after a ceasefire following the end of th ...
. This has led to certain Ba'athist symbols such as the former
flag of the Iraqi Republic
Since the 14 July Revolution, 1958 Iraqi coup d'état, the various republican governments of Iraq have used a number of different flags, all featuring the Pan-Arab colours, pan-Arab colors of green, black, white, and red. The current official and ...
under Ba'athism being reinterpreted as a distinctly Sunni symbol following it's replacement in 2008.
During the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
, Ba'athist narratives portrayed Sunni-led Iraq as the last line of Arab and Sunni defense against Shia Iran, reinforcing a sense of historical mission and communal pride. Following the 2003 U.S. invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, Sunni Iraqis lost their dominant status, prompting a shift toward a more defined communal identity. This included opposition to growing Iranian influence, particularly through the
Popular Mobilization Forces
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF; ), also known as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), is an Iranian-backed paramilitary umbrella group that operates within Iraq. Although formally and legally part of the Iraqi Armed Forces and reportin ...
.
Many autonomist movements have been created for the Sunni minority, some militant such as the
Free Iraqi Army and some intended to be created under democratic elections such as the proposed "
Sunni Region" centered in Anbar and Tikrit, intended to mirror the poltical structure of the Kurdistan Region.
Demographics
Sunni Arabs
Sunni Arabs make up around 45% of Iraq’s population, and mostly live in the
Sunni Triangle
The Sunni Triangle is a densely populated region of Iraq to the north and west of Baghdad inhabited mostly by Sunni Muslim Arabs. The roughly triangular area's points are usually said to lie near Baghdad (the southeast point), Ramadi (the southwes ...
, a densely populated region of
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
to the north and west of
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
. It extends from
Tikrit
Tikrit ( ) is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. In 2012, it had a population of approximately 160,000.
Originally created as a f ...
(the southeast point),
Ramadi
Ramadi ( ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate which shares borders with Syri ...
(the southwest point) to
Mosul
Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...
(the north point). It also includes the cities of
Samarra
Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and mi ...
,
Fallujah
Fallujah ( ) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates, Euphrates River, it is located roughly to the west of the capital city of Baghdad and from the neighboring city of Ramadi. The city is located in the region ...
,
Balad and
Hīt
Hit or Heet (, ''Hīt'') is a city in Al Anbar Governorate of Iraq. Situated on the banks of the Euphrates River, it lies northwest of Ramadi, the provincial capital. The city is administrative capital for Hit District. A major city in the cent ...
.
They also inhabit
Upper Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia constitutes the Upland and lowland, uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. Since the early Muslim conquests of the mid-7th century, the regio ...
and the areas of the
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert () is a vast desert wilderness in West Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula with an area of . It stretches from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It is the fourth largest desert in the ...
and
Syrian Desert
The Syrian Desert ( ''Bādiyat Ash-Shām''), also known as the North Arabian Desert, the Jordanian steppe, or the Badiya, is a region of desert, semi-desert, and steppe, covering about of West Asia, including parts of northern Saudi Arabia, ea ...
.
Like other Iraqi Arabs, Iraqi Sunni Arabs are descendants of ancient population and the conquerors who invaded Iraq from the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
in the seventh century. Although a minority, Sunni Arabs dominated
Iraqi politics
Iraq is a Federation, federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary Representative democracy, representative democratic republic. It is a multi-party system whereby the executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister of Iraq, Prime Minister of t ...
until the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
-led
invasion of Iraq
An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression.
Generally, invasions have objectives ...
in 2003. There are many Sunni
Arab tribes in Iraq
Many Iraqi Arabs identify strongly with a tribe (العشيرة ashira''). 30 of the 150 or so identifiable tribes of Iraq are the most influential. They are grouped into federations (قبيلة ''qabila''). Within the tribe, there is the clan ...
, including
Dulaim
Dulaim (also rendered as Dulaimi, Al Duliam or Dulaym; ) is an Arab royal tribe, with over three million members. The tribe's history goes back to pre-Islamic times and members reside today in Iraq and neighboring countries such as Syria, Kuwai ...
,
Al-Bu Nasir,
Al-Bu Nimr,
Al-Ubaid,
Otaibah
The Otaibah (, also spelled Otaiba, Utaybah) is one of the biggest Arabian tribes originating in the Arabian Peninsula. Their distribution spans throughout Saudi Arabia, especially in Najd and Hejaz. and the Middle East. The Otaibah are descended ...
,
Shammar
The tribe of Shammar () is a tribal Arab Qahtanite confederation, descended from the Tayy, which migrated into the northern Arabian Peninsula from Yemen in the second century. It is the largest branch of the Tayy, and one of the largest and mos ...
and
Mutayr
Mutayr () is an Arab tribe with origins in the northern Hejaz near Medina, in present day Saudi Arabia. The tribe mainly inhabits Saudi Arabia (Najd), Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. They have also settled in Morocco and Tunisia.
Ge ...
.
Kurds
98% of
Iraqi Kurds
The Iraqi Kurds (, ) are the second largest ethnic group of Iraq. They traditionally speak the Kurdish languages of Sorani, Kurmanji, Feyli and also Gorani.
Historically, Kurds in Iraq have experienced varying degrees of autonomy and marginal ...
are Sunni Muslims, while the remaining 2% are Shia Muslims.
As a result of the spread of Islam,
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...
(
Shafi’i
The Shafi'i school or Shafi'i Madhhab () or Shafi'i is one of the four major schools of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), belonging to the Ahl al-Hadith tradition within Sunni Islam. It was founded by the Muslim scholar, jurist, and traditionist al ...
) became the dominant religion of the Kurdish people. There exists the
Feyli Kurds
Feylis (), also known as Feyli Kurds, is a Kurdish tribe based in the borderlands between Iraq and Iran. They speak Feyli (also known as "Ilami" or "Southern Kurdish Feyli") which is classified as a sub-dialect of Southern Kurdish, but is comm ...
who follow
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
, namely
Twelver Shiism
Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as th ...
. Islam is thought to be a religion of governance as well as spirituality, Kurds make sure to keep both their spiritual identity and national identity strong.
Their practices and beliefs are very similar to those of Sunni Arabs.
Turkmens
Primarily
Iraqi Turkmen
The Iraqi Turkmen (, عراق تورکمنلری; Arabic: تركمان العراق), also referred to as Iraqi Turks, (, عراق توركلری; ) are the third largest ethnic group in Iraq. They make up to 10%–13% of the Iraqi population. I ...
are Sunni Muslims, most Iraqi Turkmen are politically
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
yet remain practicing, having internalized the secularist interpretation of state–religion affairs practiced in the
Republic of Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
.
The religious and tribal factors and tensions inherent in Iraq’s political culture do not significantly affect the Iraqi Turkmen.
References
{{Reflist
Ethnic groups in Iraq
Ethnic groups in the Middle East
Demographics of Iraq
Muslim communities in Asia
Ethnoreligious groups in Asia