Shroug

Shroug (Arabic: الشروق; Iraqi Arabic: الشروگ; lit. "easterners") is a term in Iraq used to describe a Shia Arab social group from southern Iraq. The word Shroug had also been used as a derogatory term by Sunni Arabs against Shia Arabs of southern Iraq.^[1][2][3]

History

The term Shroug was used by the Sunni tribes of the Middle Euphrates to refer to the Shia tribes around Amara District. Shroug literally meant "easterners" and was sometimes used as a slur. Later, the term expanded to include all of southern Iraq.^[4][5][3] The Sunni tribes of the Middle Euphrates boasted that they retained their Bedouin customs while the Shroug were open to influence from neighboring regions.^[6]

The extreme poverty and social stigmatism of the Shroug later changed after Abdul-Karim Qasim came to power. Their number in 1958 was estimated at 100,000 people.^[7] The Qasim government built Sadr City as a complex where Shroug were settled.^[8] The Shroug later increased their social prominence as they began migrating from the countryside to the cities.^[4] Some Shroug also resided in the Marshes alongside the Marsh Arabs.^[9] Although the term Shroug initially referred to Amara District, it later was used to refer to Shia Arabs from southern and southeastern Iraq.^[10] Others claimed that the term Shroug had Mesopotamian origins, either from "Sharubak", meaning "the natives" in Sumerian, or from "Sherk", which occurred in the name of Sharrukin, which meant "just" or "righteous" in Akkadian.^[9][5]