Editing Saddam Hussein (section)

== Political and cultural image ==
{{Main|Saddamism}}
{{Multiple image
| image1            = Stamped brick at the ancient city of Babylon bearing the name of Saddam Hussein.jpg
| image2            = Palace of Saddam Hussein (30629368765).jpg
| image3            = 
| alt1              = Stamped brick at the ancient city of Babylon bearing the name of Saddam Hussein
| caption1          = Stamped brick at the ancient city of [[Babylon]] bearing the name of Saddam Hussein
| caption2          = Saddam's palace near the ruins of the North Palace of [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] at [[Babylon]]
}}
The political ideas and policies pursued by Saddam became known as [[Saddamism]].<ref name="ofrabengio" /> This doctrine was officially endorsed by his government and promoted by the Iraqi daily newspaper [[Babel (newspaper)|Babil]] owned by his son [[Uday Hussein]].<ref name="ofrabengio">{{cite book |last=Bengio |first=Ofra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xhonDwAAQBAJ |title=Saddam's Word: Political discourse in Iraq |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=9780195114393 |location=Oxford, England, UK; New York, New York, USA |page=208 |format=Paperback}}</ref>

During his leadership, Saddam promoted the idea of dual nationalism that combined [[Iraqi nationalism]] and [[Arab nationalism]], linking Iraq's identity to wider matters that impact [[Arabs]] as a whole.<ref name="Orit Bashkin 2009. Pp. 174">Orit Bashkin. ''The other Iraq: pluralism and culture in Hashemite Iraq''. Stanford, California, USA: Stanford University Press, 2009. Pp. 174.</ref> Saddam viewed Iraq's ancient [[Mesopotamia]]n heritage as compatible with his vision of Arab nationalism.<ref name="Orit Bashkin 2009. Pp. 174" /> In the course of his reign, the government adopted the historic Muslim leader [[Saladin]] as a national symbol, while Saddam styled himself as the modern successor of [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylonian]] King [[Nebuchadnezzar II|Nebuchadnezzar]] and had stamped the bricks of ancient [[Babylon]] with his name and titles next to him.<ref name="Kiernan, Ben 2007. Pp. 587">Kiernan, Ben. ''Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur''. Yale University Press, 2007. Pp. 587.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Magid |first=Pesha |date=2 December 2019 |title=Inside the Abandoned Babylon That Saddam Hussein Built |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/babylon-iraq-saddam-hussein |access-date=5 April 2022 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref> During the [[Gulf War]], Saddam claimed the historic roles of Nebuchadnezzar, Saladin, and [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]].<ref name="PIRRR" />

[[File:Al-Qadissiya 6.jpg|thumb|Propaganda art to glorify Saddam after [[Iran–Iraq War]], 1988|left|270x270px]]
Saddam often emphasized his nomadic [[Bedouin]] roots, framing them as a source of honor and traditional values.<ref name=":31" /> Following the [[Death and state funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini|death of Ayatollah Khomeini]], his long-time adversary, Saddam instructed media outlets not to gloat, stating that it was part of Arab cultural tradition to show restraint in speaking about the dead and that "when he is dead, that's it. You don't talk ill of the dead."<ref name=":31">{{Cite web |date=7 September 2022 |title=Conflicted S3 E17: Saddam vs. Ayatollah |url=https://messageheard.com/conflicted-transcripts/saddam-vs-ayatollah |access-date=13 December 2024 |website=Message Heard |language=en-US}}</ref>

He organized two [[show election]]s in 1995 and 2002. In the [[1995 Iraqi presidential referendum|1995 referendum]], he reportedly received 99.96% of the votes with 99.47% turnout, gaining 3,052 negative votes among an electorate of 8.4 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/17/world/no-surprise-in-iraqi-vote.html |title=No surprise in Iraqi vote |work=The New York Times |access-date=29 January 2012 |date=17 October 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6507/is_4_57/ai_n28932894/ |title=Iraq – July 22 – Saddam Plans Referendum |via=Find Articles |access-date=29 January 2012 |year=2002 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715194635/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6507/is_4_57/ai_n28932894/ |archive-date=15 July 2012 }}</ref> In the [[2002 Iraqi presidential referendum|2002 referendum]], he officially achieved 100% of approval votes and 100% turnout, as the electoral commission reported the next day that every one of the 11,445,638 eligible voters cast a "Yes" vote for the president.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2331951.stm |title=Saddam 'wins 100% of vote' |publisher=BBC |access-date=29 January 2012 |date=16 October 2002}}</ref>