"If the constitution is voted down, then at least we have a chance at a better constitution the next time around. I hope it does not pass. Any document that mandates that "No Law will Contradict Islam" is not worth the lives of American troops, American money and America's Time."
There will be no significant changes in their constitution no matter how many iterative passes it goes. Those in the majority have clearly indicated they desire their basic set of laws to be governed by Sharia. They are not capable of just turning off their whole way of life, and making a radical change beyond their experiences and knowledge basis as a "people". And you know that is the case. And if not, I don't know how we can carry this dialog much further. It appears our viewpoints are polar opposite as far as how we think the US or for that matter any country could be coerced into just changing their whole makeup. We didn't ask the Germans to change their religious beliefs, nor their cultures. We even allowed the Emperor to continue to reign.
And as you are aware, he was in essence their god and represented the top of the pyramid as far as their religion of war went. We as you are well aware spent many years in both countries and spent enourmous amounts of money to rebuild their infrastructures and get them back on their feet. The true democracies and even treatment of them was enough to let them both cross the barriers that keep them back previously from living as free countries not oppressing their neighbors. Likewise in Iraq, the hope is that they see the merits of staying a peaceful nation and growing strong in the economical sense. They have a lot of potential. They also have the means to be our friends and turn their backs on the concepts of terrorism. We forget the Iraqi people as a whole had no part in radical Islamic movements nor terrorism. The majority where simply peaceful folks that had little. Farmers, common laborers, small through large business owners. They hated Saddam and all he did to the peoples as well as how he let their infrastructure go to pot. He spent little on the common folks in most of the provices. And outright neglected many of them. He destroyed much of what the Shi'ite in the south represented. They lived like dogs. He killed anyone he choose to when any political or religous entity apposed his will.
We came along and freed them from this horror. It is my believe as many others hold that dispite their reliance on Islam, most do not adhere to the many bad things we can point out in the Qur'an. For a very long time they did not mistreat Christians and even Jews where left pretty much un-molested other then the occassional hate crimes seen anywhere on the planet. They are going to have to make adjustments as to their willingness to accept all Iraqi's into the fold under one federal government. There are so many things they must learn how to do that have simply not been on their menu in the past. Shi'it must continue to give Sunni, Kurds, and others a break on the rights to practice particular customs, religious observances. No one can ostricize atheist at this point. They as a people must know show the world and themselves that they are willing to make often tought discisions regarding give and take. Something they have not had to deal with in the past. In short they have one hell of a lot of change to accept. Surely one cannot expect them to just give up their religious believes at this point. That is what you are asking them to do, whether you realize it our not. Part of their religion is based on their obedience to follow Sharia at least in general terms. Not all Islamic sects/sub sects/groups whatever, hold the same identical set of laws. Some do not even recognized the main ahadiths as you are probably aware.
So if anything they have their work cut out for them just to learn give and take as to what laws the embody the Sharia they are going to recognize. I don't have the slightest idea what your religious believes are, but assuming you are lets say of a Christian persuation, and further you are either Catholic or some branch of Protestant. Would you belonging to either of these Christian branches embody the whole of the others believes and church laws? I think not. So why do you expect the Iraqi to just abandon their religion of Islam? Their makeup is different then ours. We cannot expect the same from them, We did not expect it from the Germans nor the Japanese. I rest my case.
Have a good day, time to hit the rack. Eyes are a bleary at this point.