‘It’s Time Iraqis Stopped Laughing!’: From Iraq’s Azzaman
August 19th, 2008
By WILLIAM KERN
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According to Fateh Abdusalam of Iraq’s Azzaman newspaper, that nation’s so-called democracy would be funny of it wasn’t so tragic.
Abdusalam writes sarcastically:
“For a long while as they ranted about democracy, Iraqi politicians were also laughing to themselves. And they have been backed up by the greatest laughers of them all, the Americans - and the might of the U.S. Army. In fact, since the Americans created the racist, sectarian Governing Council on the first day of their occupation, everyone has been laughing to themselves over the ‘democracy; that Iraqis have been practicing.”
After venting a bit on Iraq’s political class and foreign interference, Abdusalam adresses what Iraqi leaders need to do to make things right:
“Now all of Iraq must show the courage necessary to stop this democracy game that has been exposed, and for which we Iraqis have paid so heavily with our priceless blood. The question is: what’s the solution?What’s the alternative to the false democracy with which all Iraqis ‘comfort’ themselves today? For if the new Iraq is to rise up, Iraqis must take hold of the only choice - real democracy - which doesn’t submit to racial or sectarian influence, regardless of which side it comes from.”
By Fateh Abdulsalam
Translated By James Jacobson and Nicolas Dagher
August 6, 2008
Iraq - Azzaman - Original Article (Arabic)
For a long while as they ranted about democracy, Iraqi politicians were also laughing to themselves. And they have been backed up by the greatest laughers of them all, the Americans - and the might of the U.S. Army. In fact, since the Americans created the racist, sectarian Governing Council on the first day of their occupation, everyone has been laughing to themselves over the “democracy” that Iraqis have been practicing. It is the kind found in dark, foul-smelling corridors, and consists of politicians dividing up the shares, generating statistics to suit their needs, making laws to suit their interests and taking positions that harm the nation. But this deteriorating situation couldn’t last forever, which is why the sores and fissures of the political process, which have emerged out of the womb of Article 7, have become so apparent.
[Editor’s Note: It’s not clear which Article 7 author is referring to. Iraq’s Constitution has no Article 7, although the Bush Administration used Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which permits the U.N. Security Council to use of force against member states, to justify the Iraq invasion ].
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with regular translated Iraqi coverage of the Iraq War.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 12:29 am and is filed under Political Philosophy, Foreign Policy, Sectarian Violence, Law Enforcement, Turkey, Nouri al-Maliki, Political Islam, Newspapers, Saddam Hussein, Iraq War, Pro-Democracy Movements, Voting, Hypocrisy, Pentagon, Democracy, Columnists, Military, Iran, Foreign Affairs, Domestic Programs, Law & Legal Matters, Politics, Iraq, Sunnis, Foreign Politics, Muslims, Social Commentary, Saudi Arabia, Minorities, Shi'ites, History. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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