Nature Of Cult Personality

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Cult figures, which have changed the system of government and led to various consequences in countries where they ruled, make a separate layer of the investigation of the influence of individual on the social environment. Cult nature of the personality is determined by several factors, including influence, authority, and power. Cult identity changes history and leaves a number of consequences that may affect it for many years. One such person is Saddam Hussein. This figure has become known for his ruling in Iraq from 1979 until 2003 (Woods & Stout, 2010). The events of Persian Gulf War and the Iraq war showed that his influence in shaping the ideology was very important. Saddam Hussein, as a cult personality, got inscribed in history as a Muslim…show more content…
The cult of personality contains many aspects that determine the impact of the measure of human influence on certain processes of life. For example, a number of political leaders have become iconic because of their tough, innovative management, techniques or, on the contrary, methods of loyal leadership and commitment to the people. However, the modern concept of "cult" is associated mostly with a negative value, religious influence, and detrimental impact on society. Leaders and religious groups are often known for their radical and violent methods of administration policy on people. Unfortunately, this concept is becoming more popular due to the increase of terrorist attacks based on political and religious confrontations. In addition to this, people admire the charismatic leaders with love, where a person becomes a precious persona in their…show more content…
First, his political influence defined rule not only in Iraq, but also in the countries, which were under his influence. The political situation in Iraq had a number of preconditions that coincided with the emergence of Saddam Hussein in the political arena. Moreover, motivation and commitment of the leader were based on a radical policy that, in his opinion, could change the country for the better (Magaloni, 2008). Subjectivism and personal interest in power became the basis of Hussein's regime. According to Saddam Hussein, the concept of "honor" and "honest government" had the special significance that was based on fair treatment to all, regardless of class and nationality. However, the actual implementation of this idea was manifested in terror. Moreover, the main features of the cult personality were promotion, military invasion, punishment, and dramatic leadership (which leads to a distorted concept of "dignity") (Suedfeld, 2010). All these aspects were signs of Saddam's rule at the political level. Moreover, the religious basis of his beliefs played an equally important role. For example, varieties of Islam as a religion, which Hussein did not accept, experienced pressure and were subjected to persecution. However, researchers believe that religious beliefs of the ruler were far from Islamic ideals of morality. That being said, there were also positive

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