Assessing the human tragedy in Iraq Ekmeleddin I ˙ hsanog ˘ lu Ekmeleddin I ˙ hsanog ˘lu is Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. He was Professor of the History of Science at Istanbul University and founding Director-General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture in Istanbul. Abstract Before a framework can be set for efforts centred on human security to combat chaos, instability and insecurity in conflict areas, the human tragedy in those areas must be understood and discussed. This article analyses the human tragedy in Iraq and shows that it extends beyond our current perception of the situation. The war has led to the loss of lives and social capital, and has destroyed the Iraqi infrastructure. This substantially lowers the quality of life, leads to the inability to provide essential services and renders state-building activities even more difficult. In line with the policy of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the article also emphasizes the need for reconciliation between the various groups in Iraq, an end to sectarian tensions and the preservation of the country’s territorial unity as the ultimate resolution of the Iraqi question. The less discussed, if not totally ignored, aspect of the Iraqi crisis is the human tragedy that is unfolding amidst conflict and war in that country. It is a cliche ´ to say that war is the cause of serious human losses and suffering. Furthermore, the perception of human tragedy in terms of the numbers of dead and wounded transforms it into a mechanical issue, ignoring its ‘‘human’’ dimension. Seen thus, human tragedy is interpreted as war losses. There is also the view that if the war is a just one, a certain degree of tolerance towards war losses is required. The widespread media coverage of the day-to-day violence in Iraq and other parts of the world also helps make this human tragedy an ordinary event, a mere news item. Volume 89 Number 868 December 2007 915