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Can Iraq overcome feuding between sects to create a united country?
Results so far:
| Yes | 41% | 135 votes | Total: 331 votes | |
| No | 59% | 196 votes |
Yes
by Alan Fernald
Created on: September 06, 2007 Last Updated: March 28, 2008
The civil war of the United States ended in 1865. Four years of the bloodiest and deadliest warfare our country has ever know. The American Civil War pitted brother against brother and father against son. A war based upon fundamental differences between the Union and the Confederacy.
The civil war ended 142 years ago, and yet today, there are still people who, in their mind, continue to fight the civil war because of their fundamental belief in the different values of human life based upon the color of a persons skin.
Despite these differences, the United States lives in relative peace, blacks as neighbors to whites as neighbors to browns as neighbors to yellows.
Today, Iraq faces a similar situation with the differences represented in the different sects of Islam that represent the majority of the Iraqi population. The Shi'a sect in the East, which is the most populous, the Sunni sect in the West, the Kurds in the North and a spattering of other sects spread throughout the country.
Because of these differences, the future of Iraq depends upon the answer to one fundamental question, "Can Iraq overcome feuding between sects to create a united country?"
The answer to this question is an emphatic, "YES!"
The population of Iraq is tired of fighting. They are tired of watching their people die in useless conflict. They fought against Iran for over ten years, and then watched as even more died in 72-hours of fighting in the culmination of the Kuwaiti occupation. They stood by silently as Hussein killed over 1.5 million people in the time since his defeat by the allied coalition.
For once, the Shi'a, the Sunni, and the Kurd are all standing united against a common foe, and that foe is radical Islamic terror. As they beat back the terrorists, they are finding that they have more in common than not, and are simply wanting to lead their lives in peace.
Though neighborhoods across Iraq may be primarily of one sect or another, there is no "forced" segregation of the sects. Shi'a, Sunni, and Kurd are neighbors. The people of Iraq have discovered this fact. They have also realized that despite their differences, it is in their best interest to join together to fight against the outsiders (Al Qaeda and their ilk) who only wish Iraq to fail.
Only a few weeks ago, Iraq celebrated the victory of their national football (soccer to the Americans out there) team in a closely fought win over Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the finals of the Asian Cup. The Iraqi football team composed of Shi'a, Sunni, Kurds and even Christians won the match because of their teamwork. It is through this same teamwork that Iraq will unite. In response to the win, Iraqis said:
-"We are Shiite, Sunni, Kurd and Christian, we are all united"
-"Congratulations to everybody. This is the greatest sign of Iraqi unity. Congratulations to all Iraqis. You can see the national feeling, it has always been there, and we hope this winning will be the beginning of the end of sectarianism. This team includes Shiite, Sunnis, and Kurds; it is a team of all Iraqis."
-"This is a great time for Iraqis, and a small reward for their suffering from killings and displacement. This is a message to the entire world that Iraqis want peace, good, and building their country. This message is opposite to all the agendas working against the goals of Iraqis. The Iraqi politicians have failed in unifying Iraqis, but football did that."
In conclusion, the problem facing Iraq is not an internal issue. The difficulties in Iraq are from external provocations and violence by terrorist groups attempting to destabilize the country. The problem is the Iraqi parliament that tries to turn everything into a sectarian battle.
If these external forces and the politicians start to work together, Iraq will rise again from the ashes of Saddam Hussein, and become a great country yet again.
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No
by Weixiang Huang
Created on: September 07, 2007
With the advent of the New Year, the world has entered the Iraqi election countdown. But a strange situation is that despite the polling day from less than four weeks, but candidates and organizations campaigning has carefully avoided, no televised debate, no campaign rally, or even a list of candidates to the electorate are not published. The reason is simple, Iraq, the deterioration in law and order, fear, and more precarious feeling, in relation to the issue of dodgy elections, possession of Ye Ye also not surprising. But this is not a big problem.
A more serious problem is that the elections will be held has become a big question mark. The interim Iraqi government and the United States on the issue in the election is a dilemma situation.
On the one hand, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi called on the 3rd to President Bush, said he was worried that if forced by the scheduled January 30 elections, he led the ruling party may fail. Meanwhile, Iraqi Defense Minister Shaalan an interview with reporters in Cairo, also expressed concern about the election.
Shalan Allawi and the natural fear is justified. Right now, in Iraq bombings, attacks, kidnappings continued, civilians and government soldiers in the army death toll rising even before Baghdad governor also died. In addition, the Sunni Muslim Islamic Party, the largest political party on December 27 last year announced a boycott of the election. Analysts believe that if the Sunni parties to boycott the elections, this would mean that nearly half of Iraqis would not participate in the elections.
On the other hand, President Bush repeated again and again to the Iraqi election should be designed according to a timetable, regardless of how much the price. U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said on the 3rd, the United States still insists on January 30 elections. Supported by the United States not to stay in words: 150,000 troops records showed that the new President Bush for the election "escorting" determination. As important elections in the capital Baghdad, the U.S. military has deployed 5,000 troops to strengthen law and order. During the Christmas holidays hit the northern city of Mosul, the U.S. military is going to send more troops there.
In fact, demand held as scheduled and postponed the holding of elections have upped the real struggle is, in the face of Iraq's worsening security situation is to first re-election or to rule governing the vote. Analysts believe that the postponement of the Iraqi interim government and the United States held the negative impact may be disastrous, because it is recognized and that insurgents to disrupt elections and the victory of the Sunni parties and organizations boycotted the elections a success. According to the plan, this year, Iraq's political activities chain, "with wide-ranging implications." The transitional parliament in January elections if delayed, is likely to affect the transitional government elections, a permanent constitution formulation, referendum, parliamentary elections and political reconstruction, and a series of steps.
If not delay the holding of elections, the United States and the interim government faced the challenge is how to the expected 14 million voters "invited" to the polling station. They expect these difficult insurgency voters braved bullets to vote. In Baghdad governor not captive life circumstances, the voters have reason to believe that their vote will probably not acceptable price to pay. (End)
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