Iraqi Constitution
Today I happened to notice an article in the paper that laid out the basis of the new Iraqi Constitution. I was a little troubled.
One part said that Islam would be the official religion and basis for laws. This alone takes away from the whole ideal of democracy and freedom; it becomes more or less a theocratic nation. For instance, America has no nationwide religion nor does the US have a government sponsored religion. Just look- for mentioning the Lord like in the Pledge of Allegiance some minority becomes offended, the ACLU steps in, and it becomes a Supreme Court case. Sure, America is based on Judeo-Christian elements, yet we try to be so protective of the minority that one can't help laughing. If a Christian or Jew were to go live in Iraq (you'd have to be stupid, but who knows), you already have points against you as an outsider to the society. They might not like to admit it, but its true.
There was another part of the Iraqi Constitution, which I think is too idealistic but good nonetheless, said no one would be discriminated based on gender, origin, ethnicity, race, etc.- everyone is equal. We would all like to believe that everyone is equal, but in reality, it is not so. Women are supposed to be equal to men, yet on the average, women make about 78% of what men make for doing the same task. Another factor is obviously socio-economics- as long as this exists and we have a class system, no one will be equal (in capitalism, it will always exist). Racial quotas, although they "don't exist", play a role in who gets into certain college facilities. Unless women get to have rights in the new Iraq, they will be far from equal to men. I still think that if you aren't a Muslim, you will be frowned upon in the new Iraq as well. Even the different sides of Islam will be at odds.
posted by Anonymous at 2:07 PM
7 Comments:
DM,
Its always wise to remember, Democracy isn't an event, its a process.
We cannot dictate the process, we can only clear the ground, plant the sapling, weed the orchard and nurture the tree. The quality of the fruit will depend on the gardener we leave as steward and how he fulfills his duties. We will not have fruit this year, but the tree will grow.
The taste of the fruit might be different than the fruit of our own orchard but it will still be the same fruit.
Meanwhile, we must wait to see the quality of fruit fruit that tree shall bear.
10/16/2005 10:54 AM
thats quite an analogy warren! i do agree with it.
just because it would be an islamic nation, it does not mean it wont be democratic and wont work. i for one dont want a mini me america in the making, not that i could ever imagine that for Iraq.
i personally hate it when religion comes into politics though. where in my own country, australia, issues like stem cell research and homosexual marriage are debated. its the 21st century?! get over the traditional christian mentalities!anyways thats not really the point, but i do think christian views play a huge part in politics in our own western world.
constitutions are meant to be idealistic arent they? and though there is still much work to be done in the Iraq constitution, its definitely a step forward. in my opinion anything that aids towards getting american troops out of there.
if you are a muslim in america or australia are you not viewed in suspicion or prejudice? i dont know, but for me, i dont see much equality in our world. is true equality achievable? racism sickens me, comming from either side.
anyways thats my 2cents worth, hope its not too far from the point
10/18/2005 8:03 AM
my point for bringing up an official religion in Iraq is just my being pro separation of church and state. religion dictates values which in turn dictate laws, but i don't see a point in why any nation would need to make an official religion.
warren:
i still have my doubts about certain things of their constitution, but you are right. if their system works for them and is globally accepted, then i would drop all my doubts.
liquid skin:
as you can probably tell, i agree with you on religion in politics.
true equality could be accomplished, but to do it is unrealistic. people would need to not care about 'peer' pressure or society 'norms' which is damn near impossible. if we became like the early humans, equality would be a lot closer than now.
constitutions are supposed to be idealistic, but where do most people get values from- religion.
the reason why muslims are suspected easily at least in the US is because terrorist attacks which hurt America were carried out by extremists. there was a quote by a muslim news reporter that went 'not all muslims are terrorists, but sadly all terrorists are muslim.' during the bag inspections in the NY subways (the 2nd time) police said the searches will be at random. yet is it really efficient to check a grandma, or a businessman?
10/18/2005 6:39 PM
Liquid Skin, thank you for the compliment. If reading your blog is any indicator, I suspect it appealed to your poetic nature. :^)
As long as they do not impose Islamic law, (Sharia), are tolerant of other religions and respect the equality of women, under law; I believe all will be well in the end.
These things give rise to classic liberalism and trend toward, what we consider, western type values. It won't happen overnight, it may take several generations. But when I read the writings of those Iraqis that have experienced democracy and see their hope, I can not help but join in.
"if you are a muslim in america or australia are you not viewed in suspicion or prejudice? i dont know, but for me, i dont see much equality in our world. is true equality achievable?"
I believe that DM answered your question about Muslim prejudice. Muslims have tolerated terrorists in their midsts and you can not blame their potential targets for looking upon them with suspicion.
Think about snakes, not in a derogatory fashion but as a species and how they interact with humans. Not all snakes are venomous, some are quite beneficial, destroying rodents and even eating other snakes. But if you see a snake, unless you are an expert, you are going to give it a wide berth. If its in your house, you will probably kill it without too much compunction, it might be venomous!
Now, I know about snakes, they don't bother me. If one gets in my house, unless its venomous, I herd it outside where it belongs. If it were venomous, I would kill it.
If you cannot tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake, you are wise to mistrust them all. To do otherwise invites a snake bite. You could say, if you do not know the difference, it would be foolish to treat all snakes as if they were non-venomous.
(I like analogies) ;^)
What is, 'true equality'?
At best we can have equal opportunity, equal outcome is impossible unless we strive for the lowest common denominator.
So, I would say that equality under law and equal opportunity is the best of all possible worlds. All other visions of equality are Utopian fantasies.
DM, I have my own misgivings. I don't believe, that as a people, we would tolerate a General MacArthur type constitution forced upon Iraq, as was in Japan.
I am nothing if not pragmatic. ;^)
10/19/2005 12:27 AM
yep i definitely agree what you both are saying and see where your comming from. its all a really complex situation and there is no one answer. im not knowledgeable about what is happening in iraq, but i really enjoy reading what other people have to say, its good to be able to learn new things and a different perspective.
i think with the whole prejudice against muslims, ive come across a lot of idiots, basically unintelligent people who think its best to wipe the earth clean of muslims and an islamic friend of mine was talking to me of some the disturbing confrontations shes come across just because she is muslim. my heart goes out to them, to any one effected by terrorists.
but yeah its such a huge topic. hopefully everything can come together to work its best for everyone.
i hope one day i can visit a successful bustling and true iraq. its seems like an amazing land and great people.
10/20/2005 8:27 AM
warren:
to define true equality, i would compare it to all being big gray blobs (male and female) with no meaning or feeling of hate or prejudice. true equality would be a utopian society. it could happen, but to be done is unrealisitc. it is far too idealistic.
although i don't know the specifics of the plan, from what i know, the general demilitarized the country and enacted political, economic and social reform. macarthur's stint in japan only appealed to a very small portion of people- the ultra conservatives, hence why his 1948 republican pres. nomination went very bad for him.
10/20/2005 9:33 PM
Equality is an illusion, only a philosophical concept. It has never existed except in the imagination of modern homo sapiens.
It could only exist in a hive type mind that shared a collective consciousness.
The closest examples in nature are ants and termites. Even there the queen reigns supreme for she 'is' the hive.
Its not in human nature to subvert personal acclaim, wants and needs to the needs of others except within the boundaries of family and personal relationships. Even in those groupings we have our "greedy" friends and family members which put their own wants above all others.
We are the sum of our parts, none of us are without our little 'quirks' and petty jealousies. But that is part of what makes us human.
To give up those parts stifles creativity and the drive to succeed.
Somehow, I think, giving those things up would make us less than human, truly those "big gray blobs".
We might all be kinder to each other, but who would know the difference?
We would all be unaware.
On MacArthur and the Japanese Constitution:
According to "American Caesar", Gen MacArthur's biography. Essentially, he wrote it when the Japanese couldn't come to an agreement about what theirs would contain. (He had already told them what it "must contain"). His views on equality were quite liberal.
If you have the time, you might want to read it. The whole thing is very interesting and I found the parts from the end of WW2 through the Korean war extremely fascinating. I leared many things and it gave me a very different perspective on Japan.
Your nearest library will have a copy, I'm sure. I bought a used copy online from Albris, for a few bucks, on the recommendation of a friend.
10/20/2005 11:22 PM
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