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Islam Dominates Iraq's Draft Constitution
yahoo/ap ^ | July 27 05 | yahoo/ap

Posted on 07/27/2005 1:03:11 PM PDT by churchillbuff

Framers of Iraq's constitution will designate Islam as the main source of legislation — a departure from the model set down by U.S. authorities during the occupation — according to a draft published Tuesday.

The draft states no law will be approved that contradicts "the rules of Islam" — a requirement that could affect women's rights and set Iraq on a course far different from the one envisioned when U.S.-led forces invaded in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.

"Islam is the official religion of the state and is the main source of legislation," reads the draft published in the government newspaper Al-Sabah. "No law that contradicts with its rules can be promulgated."

The document also grants the Shiite religious leadership in Najaf a "guiding role" in recognition of its "high national and religious symbolism."

Al-Sabah noted, however, that there were unspecified differences among the committee on the Najaf portion. Those would presumably include Kurds, Sunni Arabs and secular Shiites on the 71-member committee.

During the U.S.-run occupation, which ended June 28, 2004, key Shiite and some Sunni politicians sought to have Islam designated the main source of legislation in the interim constitution, which took effect in March 2004.

However, the U.S. governor of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, blocked the move, agreeing only that Islam would be considered "a source" — but not the only one. At the time, prominent Shiite politicians agreed to forego a public battle with Bremer and pursue the issue during the drafting of the permanent constitution.

Some women's groups fear strict interpretation of Islamic principles could erode their rights in such areas as divorce and inheritance. It could also move Iraq toward a more religiously based society than was envisioned by U.S. planners who hoped it would be a beacon of Western-style democracy in a region of one-party rule and theocratic regimes.

Members of the constitutional committee said the draft was among several and none would be final until parliament approves the charter by Aug. 15.

The drafting committee met Tuesday to discuss federalism, one of the most contentious issues, according to Sunni Arab member Mohammed Abed-Rabbou. He described the discussion as "heated" and said no agreement was reached.

Parliament speaker Hajim al-Hassani, a Sunni Arab, urged Iraqi media to refrain from publishing supposed texts unless they are released by the constitutional committee.

Sunni Arabs involved in writing the charter have complained that Shiites and Kurds are trying to steamroll their version of the draft without proper consultation and discussion.

The Sunnis agreed only Monday to resume work on the committee after they walked out to protest the assassination of two colleagues this month.

"It's very important that the constitution is produced through the participation of all Iraqis," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters Tuesday. "This is important for ending and defeating the insurgency, for having a political compact and I want to say to the Arab Sunni community that they can count on us for such a compact."

Sunni Arab support is crucial because the charter can be scuttled if voters in three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject it by a two-thirds majority — and Sunni Arabs are a majority in four provinces. Sunni Arabs make up about 20 percent of Iraq's 27 million people but dominate areas where the insurgency is raging.

U.S. officials are eager for the Iraqis to meet the Aug. 15 deadline as a major step in building a stable constitutional government, considered key to pacifying the Sunni insurgency and enabling the U.S. and its partners to begin drawing down troop strength.

If the deadline is met, voters will decide whether to approve the charter in mid-October and if they do, another general election will take place in December.

In an Internet statement Tuesday, al-Qaida's wing in Iraq warned Iraqis not to take part in the constitutional referendum, saying democracy goes against God's law and anyone who participates would be considered an "infidel," and earmarked for death.

According to Al-Sabah, the draft constitution would declare Iraq a sovereign state with "a republican democratic federal system." However, the word "federal" appears in brackets, indicating opposition among the committee.

Sunni Arabs are suspicious that federalism, a prime goal of the Kurds, would lead to the disintegration of Iraq.

In other developments:

_Gunmen fired on two buses carrying workers home from a government-owned company on the western edge of Baghdad, killing 16 and wounding 27, police and a company official said.

_Two gunmen in a speeding car assassinated a top aide to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, police said in Baqouba, a city northeast of Baghdad.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: chamberlainbuff; dumbideas; iraq; iraqiconstitution; islam; muslim; nationbuilding; neville; sharia; troll
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To: churchillbuff

Douglas MacArthur would never have permitted this. Paul Bremer was such a pussy and frankly so is Bush. We should be having the Iraqi oil pay us back for every penny we spent in Iraq, and we should be banning Shari'a Law from their new Constitution. But Bush wont do either because he is a slave to political correctness. It is despicable.


61 posted on 07/27/2005 1:51:32 PM PDT by montag813
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To: hugoball

I was thinking the same thing.

If no one wishes to act against thier enemy due to what the enemy may do, then you have lost. The religion is the problem. Taking out evey leader of islam and every mosque is a start, but I'd rather take out the head of the snake and let the body die. I was only offering what I believe to be a solution, as there is no centralized leadership. No Hirohito, no Fuehrer. Only mecca and medina and every mosque and self proclaimed leader.

As for Jerusalem, I don't believe that it is even in the koran. If I remember, they declared it a holy site because muhammed had a dream of some place unnamed and the leaders declared this place to be Jerusalem, which muhammed never even went to.


62 posted on 07/27/2005 1:52:33 PM PDT by xmm0 (This post has been brought to you by the letters "U," "S," and "A" and Amendment number 1.)
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To: churchillbuff
"Islam is the official religion of the state and is the main source of legislation"

The key word in this sentence is "main." Everything hinges on how that word is interpreted. Obviously Islam will be a primary influence on legislation; anyone who doubted that was living in a dream world. But if a hard-line interpretation of sharia is avoided, it will be a loss for the terrorists and the fundamentalist imams. "Main" gives us hope - for now - that there is resistance to the hard-liners and that this resistance is finding its way into the law. Keeping my fingers crossed.
63 posted on 07/27/2005 1:52:41 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: churchillbuff

If this is the result it would have been much better to keep Saddam in place.


64 posted on 07/27/2005 1:58:38 PM PDT by freedom44
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To: xmm0

Ultimately, I think you are right. That's probably what it will come down to. That's the only military act that I think would actually do some good in the long run.


65 posted on 07/27/2005 1:59:52 PM PDT by ValenB4 ("Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets." - Isaac Asimov)
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To: churchillbuff

If I were in the military, I'd go AWOL over this news. Screw it.


66 posted on 07/27/2005 2:02:10 PM PDT by G32
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To: hugoball

Very true. Just got done reading a great book from Bernard Lewis. In one chapter he goes into detail on how Arabs are not patriotic. They are only religious. There is no sense of nationalism. To them nationalism is denying God and a zionist trait.


67 posted on 07/27/2005 2:04:35 PM PDT by slowhand520
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To: Billthedrill
You are attempting to claim that a government populated by thugs that routinely gassed, shot, tortured, raped, and oppressed its people is preferable to the one that isn't even formed yet"""

Nope, I'm saying that it wasn't our business to displace that government, NOT because I endorse their brutality, but because it wasn't a threat to us - - and it's also the case that it's going to be replaced by Islamic fundamentalism.

68 posted on 07/27/2005 2:07:44 PM PDT by churchillbuff
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To: churchillbuff

"Framers of Iraq's constitution will designate Islam as the main source of legislation"

If this constitution goes through, it will IMHO validate the position of many who said this was a no-win situation that we should avoid.


69 posted on 07/27/2005 2:09:44 PM PDT by Spottys Spurs
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To: churchillbuff

You watch, a couple hundred years from now, likely sooner, the ICLU will be denying the writers of the Iraq Constitution were Muslims.


70 posted on 07/27/2005 2:11:33 PM PDT by TheDon (The Democratic Party is the party of TREASON!)
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To: Billthedrill
You are attempting to claim that a government populated by thugs that routinely gassed, shot, tortured, raped, and oppressed its people is preferable"""

You mean the Chinese government? I haven't heard you call for invading China - - does that mean you support its brutality? No it doesnt. I'm not juvenile enough to accuse you of supporting Chinese brutality, the way you accuse me of supporting Saddam brutality. You may not support invading ?China or Cuba or North Korea or Zimbabwe, but only a nitwit would say that means you support their brutality. So stop being a nitwit and saying I support Saddam's brutality. I didn't see the invasion as necessary to our interests - - that's a very different thing.

71 posted on 07/27/2005 2:12:26 PM PDT by churchillbuff
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To: Steve_Seattle
The key word in this sentence is "main." """

I see. It all depends on what the meaing of "is" is. Is that what you're saying?

72 posted on 07/27/2005 2:13:29 PM PDT by churchillbuff
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To: montag813

"Douglas MacArthur would never have permitted this. Paul Bremer was such a pussy and frankly so is Bush. We should be having the Iraqi oil pay us back for every penny we spent in Iraq, and we should be banning Shari'a Law from their new Constitution. But Bush wont do either because he is a slave to political correctness. It is despicable."

You hit the nail right on the head!


73 posted on 07/27/2005 2:14:00 PM PDT by Spottys Spurs
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To: ValenB4
The sad part is that modern nations (and subsequently thier militaries) only believe in borders and armies. The concept of religion is just an idea that various individuals have instead of a binding ideals of a nation without borders. Declaring war on a religion is just something they won't do.

On a side note I got to thinking after typing this:
"The concept of religion is just an idea that various individuals have instead of a binding ideals of a nation without borders."
It would seem that islam, with its rather uniformity in rules regardless of location, would fit quite well with GW's NWO. Don't expect him to denounce islam in *any* way soon. < /tin-foil-hat >
74 posted on 07/27/2005 2:14:47 PM PDT by xmm0 (This post has been brought to you by the letters "U," "S," and "A" and Amendment number 1.)
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To: slowhand520

>.There is no sense of nationalism

One of the reasons for that is some of the Arab states are jerryrigged cartographic colonial creations that the nationalistic ideal has not been strong enough to carry the populace.

Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria (the Maghreb) are exceptions.

Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and even Saudi are pretty much creations of the English and the French.


75 posted on 07/27/2005 2:16:45 PM PDT by swarthyguy
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To: slowhand520
They are only religious. There is no sense of nationalism. To them nationalism is denying God and a zionist trait.

As is plainly obvious in Iraq, even the sense of religion is fractious, to say the least. They're more akin to the primitive clan-like parts of Africa.

These people are just so far behind the times that adopting rabid nationalism would actually be a huge step forward.

76 posted on 07/27/2005 2:17:41 PM PDT by jpl
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To: churchillbuff

We shoulda dropped a Constitution on their collective desk and said "this is your Constitution - do a good job and we'll let you amend it some day."

Oh well.


77 posted on 07/27/2005 2:19:04 PM PDT by Little Ray (I'm a reactionary, hirsute, gun-owning, knuckle dragging, Christian Neanderthal and proud of it!)
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To: xmm0
It's just a dysfunctional culture. Maybe it can reform itself. But things are starting to progress and will probably get worse. I'm not happy about the prospect of where things will probably end up. If we are nuked, and some of our cities are rendered uninhabitable, then we will have to respond, like Tancredo said. But against who? It will probably be done by a terrorist group not affiliated with a country. So we just can't pick a random country? The target would have to be the sites that inspire the religion. That is preferable to just wiping out the entire Middle East.

Then the whole world would have to to deal with the consequences of containing a religion in its insane death throes. But eventually that too would subside. It's very scary and I don't say that with any glee or bloodlust. If anyone can give me cause to be optimistic, do so.

78 posted on 07/27/2005 2:24:10 PM PDT by ValenB4 ("Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets." - Isaac Asimov)
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To: randog

"Shall we just pull out now or re-invade while we're there?"

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind.
1. Do everything under the sun to find alternate sources of energy
2. Drill in Alaska
3. Stop import of oil from ME (no, not Maine)
4. Pull out from ALL of ME
5. Tell the Muslim world - you do it your way, we do it our way. We have nothing to do with you, you have nothing to do with us. When you grow up as a civilization, come talk. Till then, hasta la vista.


79 posted on 07/27/2005 2:27:23 PM PDT by razoroccam (Then in the name of Allah, they will let loose the Germs of War (http://www.booksurge.com))
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To: churchillbuff
I think daku is saying that it's an AP/yahoo story & like all AP/Yahoo stories one needs to take it with a humongous grain of salt.
80 posted on 07/27/2005 2:29:51 PM PDT by madison10
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