Sayings and Ideas of Iraq's Leader Abd al-Karim Qasim (1960)

Abd al-Karim Qasim was an Iraqi army officer who participated in the 14th July 1958 revolution against the Hashemite monarchy in Iraq, marking the country’s transition from a monarchy to a republic. Abd al-Karim served as prime minister until 1963, when he was deposed in a Ba‘athist coup.

The following short publication that I share here consists of cartoons captioned with sayings of Abd al-Karim, both in Arabic and English. The publication was issued by the higher committee to celebrate the second anniversary of the 14th July revolution in 1960. The publication gives a concise illustration of some of Abd al-Karim’s key rhetorical talking points and ideas at the time, such as claiming to uphold Arabism, Iraq’s independence, anti-colonialism (which meant cooling ties with the United States and United Kingdom) and law-and-order.

“Sayings of the leader Abd al-Karim Qasim in pictures, issued by the higher committee for the 14 July 1960 celebrations, by the pen of the artist Ghazi.”

“Sayings of the leader Abd al-Karim Qasim in pictures, issued by the higher committee for the 14 July 1960 celebrations, by the pen of the artist Ghazi. Printed in the al-Baraq Offset Printing House, Baghdad, al-Mutanabbi Street. Phone: 87256.”

(In centre: “Iraqi Republic: 14 July 1958”).

(Right-hand picture depicts the Iraqi flag, with individuals supposedly representing Iraq’s various ethnic groups).

(Left-hand picture depicts Abd al-Karim in Arab dress. Torch says: “The Arab Ummah”).