Solidarity, Power and Ideology in Selected Iraqi Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study applies Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine selected Iraqi political speeches by Abdul Rahim Al-Shammari, Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, and Jalal Talabani, exploring how power, solidarity, and ideology intersect in political communication. Using an integrated framework—Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Model (1989), Halliday and Matthiessen’s Transitivity System (2014), and Quirk et al.’s Modality framework (1985)—the study analyzes how linguistic choices, discourse practices, and sociocultural contexts shape meaning. The research focuses on performative and expressive speech acts—including congratulations, blessings, and welcomes—to assert authority and foster solidarity. Findings show that Iraqi politicians use inclusive and emotionally charged vocabulary, collective pronouns (“we,” “our”), and material and relational processes to construct shared identity, present themselves as agents of progress, and reinforce national and regional ideologies. Religious, cultural, and historical references strengthen legitimacy and cultural identity, while appeals to justice and international norms situate Iraq within global political discourse. Overall, the study concludes that Iraqi political discourse strategically blends local cultural values with global ideological currents, using solidarity as both a rhetorical and ideological tool to legitimize authority, promote national cohesion, and project Iraq as an autonomous, globally engaged nation.