The impact of Cultural Invasion on the Islamic identity of Iraqi women: The role of religious awareness as a mediating variable, and self-image as a Moderation variable: An analytical study of the opinions of a sample of women in the Middle Euphrates gove

Abstract

This research aims to construct an advanced explanatory model that examines the impact of cultural invasion on the Islamic identity of Iraqi women as a socio-cultural model subjected to the dual pressures of conservatism and openness. It also investigates the effectiveness of both religious consciousness as a mediating variable and self-image as an interactive variable that reshapes the nature of the relationship between these variables. The strength of this model lies in its ability to integrate the cultural and psychological dimensions in explaining behavior. The study is based on an analytical perspective that cultural invasion is not solely shaped by external factors, but also by a system of values and psychology surrounding women. Religious consciousness reshapes the impact of this invasion through internal pathways that reinforce self-discipline, while self-image plays a controlling role that determines the strength or weakness of this impact. The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach and used standardized measurement tools distributed to a representative sample of women in the Middle Euphrates governorates. A total of 520 questionnaires were distributed, employing advanced statistical analysis techniques to examine interaction, mediation, and pathways of influence (direct and indirect) using the SPSS and SMARTPLS statistical software programs. The results showed that cultural invasion negatively impacts Islamic identity when the level of religious awareness is low, while high awareness limits this impact and redirects it towards a more conscious and selective interaction. The results also revealed that self-image plays a significant interactive role; the impact of cultural invasion is weakened among women with a strong self-image and amplified when it is weak. Furthermore, the study indicated that identity is formed through a complex interaction between external cultural influences and internal cognitive structures, emphasizing the need for community programs that enhance awareness and self-image to protect women's Islamic identity