Their grievance is not really Russian imperialism, or the 5 to 10 percent of the West Bank under dispute, or black African encroachment on Arab land, or purported French insensitivity to legitimate Islamic pride, much less an American "crusade" to harm Muslims.
All these issues and the hundreds of others — from the right to build a reactor in Iran to the desire for a semi-autonomous Chechnya — in theory could be discussed, argued about, and adjudicated through democratic dialogue.
But that is impossible. For you see, the real problem is the democratic dialogue itself — unknown in the Arab Middle East and much of the Islamic world, and a hindrance to both sharia and the pan-Arabist thug with epaulettes and sunglasses. Yet consensual government alone is the key to ending failed statist economies, gender apartheid, religious intolerance, state-controlled media, and tribalism. It alone might stop the self-induced misery and with it the tedious scapegoating of "the Jews and America."
For you see, the real problem is the democratic dialogue itself — unknown in the Arab Middle East and much of the Islamic world,
And that's why we're in Iraq.
IRAQ THE MODEL
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Is it worth it?
Congratulations for the Iraqi people and to all freedom lovers in the world for the 1st meeting of the interim Iraqi national conference that was held yesterday.
The meeting was successful without any serious conflict and the members elected a president for the conference; Dr. Fuád Maásoom. Their was an agreement that the president should be a Kurd and the competition was between Dr Maásoom and Jalal Talibani, and although I like Talabani but I’m glad it was Maásoom who got elected as it’s certainly better now not to put too much power in one hand. And despite that I don’t like this distribution of responsibilities according to ethnicity and religion, as this is far from what can be called a democracy, but I think it’s better to accept this at the moment to reassure everyone that their rights and their share in authority will be preserved, hoping that with time and after fear and sensitivity get less and with more education to Iraqis and more explanations, we can abandon such methods and start making our choices according to efficiency and loyalty to Iraq.
With the 1st minutes of the meeting, the enemies of freedom showed their ugly face as was expected and they showed their determination to continue living in the past and in their own delusions through some mortar shells that were fired randomly in the direction of the area were the meeting took place.
They are saying it clearly that they are against plurality and freedom, but it has become obvious that such actions are becoming less and less effective as time passes. It’s impossible for such coward attacks carried by some mercenaries and fanatics to stop the march of a whole nation that suffered a lot towards achieving the dreams of millions in an honorable life and a better future. It was obvious that these attacks didn’t affect the meeting or scare the conference members, and one of the members even described these explosions as fireworks that scare no one.
He’s mistaken who thinks that there’s anything that can stop people’s lust for freedom and he’s mistaken who thinks that Iraqis are incapable of practicing democracy, as this maybe the only thing that almost all Iraqis have agreed on, including radical parties such as the communist party and the different Islamic parties, and anyone who says that these parties were forced to do so and that they don’t believe in democracy will further prove our point, as what will force such old and big parties to do that unless they found that it’s the will of the majority and that they can’t stand against it.
Here I would like to direct a question to those who opposed the change. Isn’t it a wonderful thing that a whole country transfers from a totalitarian state run by an oppressive regime to a free democratic country? The results may seem unclear now to some people but the near future will show what a great change was achieved through this war. As for us, the change and success started since the 9th of April and despite all the losses and difficulties, we are unbelievably happy with our freedom and we are full of hope and belief in our future, and I’m not speaking on behalf of all Iraqis, as there are certainly many among us who are not that happy but I’m sure that this too will change sooner or later.
As for the reactions in the Arab media, it wasn’t unusual that all what they have focused on yesterday, was the explosions around the building where the meeting took place, while the event itself; the meeting, the free discussions, the exchange of opinions and the plans for the future, were something they weren’t concerned about. Others focused on the fact that some members (around 10%) didn’t attend, showing this as some sort of a failure, as they are used to 100% attendance, 100% voting (yes) and 100% cheering. They (Arab media as well as some Arabs) stand confused at what’s happening in Iraq. They are looking at us as if we were aliens, wondering what happened to the obedient well behaved Iraqis. How can they revolt against their ancestors heritage? Why are they acting differently to their arab and Muslim brothers? Why did they accept the “west’s ideology” and betrayed their own leadership?
They found that all they could do is to ignore this victory hoping that other arabs and Muslims won’t notice the change and start wondering if what’s happening in Iraq can be actually good.
As I said we have answered the question or at least most of us have, and it will take time until our neighbors and others around the world understand why and for what all these sacrifices are.
-By Mohammed.