Our elections
I wanted to write about our elections which is supposed to be held in January next year, I might not find the right words to express my thoughts, But I will try.
For me I don’t care whether Sunni, shiat, Kurdish or any religion/ethnic group win the elections if they are qualified, but I don’t want an Islamic government (I want a secular government). What I really hate about this election is that it’s made as ethnic and religious groups only, without giving concern about who is qualified and who is not. I heard that in the next days those parties will start their campaigns on TV and newspapers.
Till now I don’t know any of those parties, I don’t want to vote based on religion. I want to choose what I think is right and best for my country.
Since the governing council was established a year ago, everything in our live is dividing according to religious/sect origin, they even distributed the ministries according to that not the qualification!.
In the eighties and the years before it, nobody cared about whether you are sunni or shii, or even asked what your religious is. Saddam created this problem by his bloody policy and increased largely in the nineties. now after the war the gap increased very much, every religion sect thinks that they should vote to their group to win and nobody thinks which are the best for them. For me I think a religion is something you inherited, you might believe in it or not, it is something between you and God. It had nothing to do with politics.
I always wonder Why the sunni should listen to their clerics not to vote in the elections, I wonder if those clerics asked themselves who will lose if they did not participate. They are of course.
I’m Sunni (I hate to say that) because I don’t want to make divisions between Iraqis, but I don’t agree with what some clerics are doing and I’m more upset when I hear people are following their orders. Those clerics might be good in their field (many of them don’t act like that now) but they know nothing about politics and they can’t take decisions for other people.
As for the shia, they are playing very good for their interest, But according to their beliefe they should obey their cleric in whatever he tells them, weather they are convinced with it or not, it has a name in Arabic but I don’t know how to translated in English. till now Al- Sistani is doing great job and solved big problems without shading blood. But what I’m afraid of is his support towards some elections lists, which contains most of the shia’s extremist parties, and very near to Iran. If he is really going to support those parties, that means all the shia or most of them, will vote for those parties. which is something I really don’t want, because we will be simillar to Iran in many ways.
In Mousl, the terrorist prevent the distribution of the elections papers by threatening those responsible for its distribution to people, and unfortunately they are succeeding in this. I was hearing in the radio one of those people who said that he received a threat in his house and he said I have children and I have to take care of them, so I did not distribute those papers.
For me I think the elections should be delayed for a while till the security situation gets better, now it is impossible for the people to go for voting in many places, even in Baghdad. there is still car bombs almost everyday, many people will be afraid to go for voting. The places for voting can not be fully secured and one can’t be sure that it is safe. how can you make an elections in this way. The south will vote, the kurds will vote, and that’s it.
I’m always asking myself if we are ready for democracy and if the people are ready for it.
we have many uneducated people in Iraq, maybe the majority, I wonder if those people will make good decisions about the best for our country, or they will choose unwisely. I’m always afraid of that point.
For me I don’t care whether Sunni, shiat, Kurdish or any religion/ethnic group win the elections if they are qualified, but I don’t want an Islamic government (I want a secular government). What I really hate about this election is that it’s made as ethnic and religious groups only, without giving concern about who is qualified and who is not. I heard that in the next days those parties will start their campaigns on TV and newspapers.
Till now I don’t know any of those parties, I don’t want to vote based on religion. I want to choose what I think is right and best for my country.
Since the governing council was established a year ago, everything in our live is dividing according to religious/sect origin, they even distributed the ministries according to that not the qualification!.
In the eighties and the years before it, nobody cared about whether you are sunni or shii, or even asked what your religious is. Saddam created this problem by his bloody policy and increased largely in the nineties. now after the war the gap increased very much, every religion sect thinks that they should vote to their group to win and nobody thinks which are the best for them. For me I think a religion is something you inherited, you might believe in it or not, it is something between you and God. It had nothing to do with politics.
I always wonder Why the sunni should listen to their clerics not to vote in the elections, I wonder if those clerics asked themselves who will lose if they did not participate. They are of course.
I’m Sunni (I hate to say that) because I don’t want to make divisions between Iraqis, but I don’t agree with what some clerics are doing and I’m more upset when I hear people are following their orders. Those clerics might be good in their field (many of them don’t act like that now) but they know nothing about politics and they can’t take decisions for other people.
As for the shia, they are playing very good for their interest, But according to their beliefe they should obey their cleric in whatever he tells them, weather they are convinced with it or not, it has a name in Arabic but I don’t know how to translated in English. till now Al- Sistani is doing great job and solved big problems without shading blood. But what I’m afraid of is his support towards some elections lists, which contains most of the shia’s extremist parties, and very near to Iran. If he is really going to support those parties, that means all the shia or most of them, will vote for those parties. which is something I really don’t want, because we will be simillar to Iran in many ways.
In Mousl, the terrorist prevent the distribution of the elections papers by threatening those responsible for its distribution to people, and unfortunately they are succeeding in this. I was hearing in the radio one of those people who said that he received a threat in his house and he said I have children and I have to take care of them, so I did not distribute those papers.
For me I think the elections should be delayed for a while till the security situation gets better, now it is impossible for the people to go for voting in many places, even in Baghdad. there is still car bombs almost everyday, many people will be afraid to go for voting. The places for voting can not be fully secured and one can’t be sure that it is safe. how can you make an elections in this way. The south will vote, the kurds will vote, and that’s it.
I’m always asking myself if we are ready for democracy and if the people are ready for it.
we have many uneducated people in Iraq, maybe the majority, I wonder if those people will make good decisions about the best for our country, or they will choose unwisely. I’m always afraid of that point.
posted by rose at 10:45 PM
9 Comments:
Rose,
You ARE ready for a democracy. Uneducated people can vote - there are many in my country that do!
Maybe someone that is a respected member of society can run a seminar in a meeting house or auditorium talking to people about rights and how to best use them by voting. Maybe some of those people that think that their clerics have to do their thinking for them can see that they can maybe do some thinking on their own.
I hope that you will be able to have "Town Hall" debates with the candidates so that people can see for themselves who these people are and if what they stand for is the best for the country.
You have over 200 nominations? Are there plans to narrow that down with preliminary votes? You could end up with a president with 2% of the popular vote. That wouldn't work.
I wonder about using absentee ballots for the areas that are unsafe or for the people that are afraid to vote in public. Do you think that that would work?
I agree with you about not caring what religion or ethnic group that a candidate is from. I don't like to call myself a democrat or a republican and I think that the best candidates are the ones that look past these party lines and work for the COUNTRY not for their politcal party's agenda.
At the risk of being accused of interfering, I wonder if you have visited http://english.iraqdemparty.org/ They have listed their basic slate of ideas they want to see in the new Iraq government which will be determined by the development of the Iraq Constitution. It can at least give you a basis for comparison as other parties state what they want to see. Al Sistani has been quoted as saying he does not want a theocracy.
The Iranian Shia are not pleased and have sent fighters into Iraq.
Rose,
Good to see you writing about the elections. I hope you get the chance to vote. It's really important. The people elected will write the new Iraqi constitution.
I really hope secular Iraqis like you, your friends and family go to the polls and cast their votes. That's the only way Iraq can get more secular people elected to write the constitution.
Take care. It's always nice to read your posts.
Rose - you will be able to find out about the parties and their platforms soon. You will make a good choice and an informed choice.
I agree that I would prefer a secular government as well. I was worried about Sistani too. We have to trust the Iraqi people now. Vote for the party that is nearest to your feelings about what you want. No party is perfect - and there is no party in the US that I agree with their platform 100%.
This election will not be perfect - no election is ever perfect. It is just the beginning.
Buckle up and get ready for the wild ride - you're heading toward the elections!! Hang on and you will be fine. Trust yourself and make that best decision. All participating Iraqis will be doing the same.
God Bless you all and your country.
Religious groups are simply "special interest groups". Allowing special interest groups to dominate your gov't or preparing your constitution is hardly democracy. They can lobby the gov't or petition for change, but you dont BASE THE WHOLE DAMN THING on them. Fairness has no religion or skin color or tribe. It will be interesting to see how Iraqis use their new freedoms... to suppress freedoms maybe? Keep in mind all the Saudi and Iranian bloggers who've mysteriously disappeared from the blogosphere. Sectarianism has too many parallels with racism.
I have just discovered the Iraqi blogs and I am truly fascinated by them. I am in awe and I cannot help but feel guilty for taking my freedom and freedom from fear for granted.
A couple of points to remember: this national election is important for many reasons. However, there is a saying in the US that ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL.
While a national election helps to establish a national identity and a national governemnt that will develop national policies reflecting the will of the people, local elections and local governments are where much of the action is: delivery of basic services (trash, water, police, parks, etc.)
Do not neglect this fact in your view of the national elections. "Democracy" is not created in a a top down (national election) fashion. Democracy is bottom up phenomenon. The local governments and local elections are part of this "bottom up" philosophy.
"I want a secular government" you said Rose.
I think thats how a state should be governed. But what is the reality? Look at America, the USA, it isn't really secular. Look at Europe, Italy has with Berlusconi narrow bonds with the Vatican and Maffia. Eastern Europe has ties to the catholic and orthodox church and what about the EU itself? People very close to the pope have very high positions in the European Commission.
I think that because believe is something personal you see it back in politics which is in fact also something personal.
Stay optimistic Rose and have a good Christmas and happy new year,
Jan
I just discovered your blog and I've really appreciated it. Thanks for sharing!
I am a Christian and a member of the clergy -- and I agree with you about not voting for someone because they share your faith but are not qualified. Of course, I voted for Kerry to be our President and lost! But that is the way with elections -- there is always the next election.
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