After Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War, the Ba'athist government changed it's perspective on Islamism and began to change their image to appear more Islamic.
The sale and public consumption of alcohol was made illegal and punishable with imprisonment. The study of the Qur'an became a core subject in the national educational curriculum, and a greater emphasis was put on the more general studying of Islam. Along with these efforts, the government refocused resources into the construction and maintenance of mosques.
The government also made use of stricter punishments for crimes, most notably in the increased usage of amputation as a punishment, which was used for crimes such as desertion and certain forms of corruption and thievery. Also, the national flag was slightly altered to depict the takbir (Allahu Ackbar).
This was by no means, the government trying to be more religious. It is more likely a attempt by the government to stave off more aggressive forms of Islamism.
However, that being said, what if, long before becoming President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein became a genuine Islamic fundamentalist and instead of joining the Ba'ath Party, joined a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and somehow led that branch to take over Iraq around the same time as in our timeline?
The sale and public consumption of alcohol was made illegal and punishable with imprisonment. The study of the Qur'an became a core subject in the national educational curriculum, and a greater emphasis was put on the more general studying of Islam. Along with these efforts, the government refocused resources into the construction and maintenance of mosques.
The government also made use of stricter punishments for crimes, most notably in the increased usage of amputation as a punishment, which was used for crimes such as desertion and certain forms of corruption and thievery. Also, the national flag was slightly altered to depict the takbir (Allahu Ackbar).
This was by no means, the government trying to be more religious. It is more likely a attempt by the government to stave off more aggressive forms of Islamism.
However, that being said, what if, long before becoming President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein became a genuine Islamic fundamentalist and instead of joining the Ba'ath Party, joined a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and somehow led that branch to take over Iraq around the same time as in our timeline?