– 2 0 0 8 ▁sect arian ▁violence , ▁tens ▁to ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁( main ly ▁Sh ia ▁civ ili ans ) ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 . 7 ▁million ▁were ▁internally ▁disp la ced . ▁In ▁IS IS - occup ied ▁Ira q ▁( 2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 7 ) ▁Sh ias ▁faced ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁worst ▁treatment , ▁and ▁thousands ▁were ▁mer cil ess ly ▁murder ed ▁for ▁their ▁faith . ▁ ▁Naj af ▁ ▁Naj af ▁was ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁opposition ▁to ▁British ▁rule . ▁Sh i ʻ i ▁activ ists ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁opposed ▁the ▁commun ist ▁threat ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁and ▁the ▁Ba ' ath ▁Party ▁( domin ated ▁by ▁S unn is ) ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁ ▁Notable ▁figures ▁ ▁Notable ▁figures ▁ ▁Abd ▁al - Kar im ▁Q as im , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁until ▁execution ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁ ▁Abd ul - W ah ab ▁Mir jan , ▁last ▁Prime ▁Min ster ▁of ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Ira q ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 7 - 8 ▁ ▁Ab u ▁al - A sw ad ▁al - D u ' ali , ▁( d . ▁ 6 8 9 ) ▁grammar ian ▁and ▁companion ▁of ▁Ali ▁ ▁Ab u ▁Ham za ▁al - Th um ali , ▁companion ▁of ▁Ali ▁ibn ▁Hus ay n ▁ ▁Ab u ▁al - Q as im ▁al - K ho