The coalition Western leaders claim that their military forces are in Iraq to fight for freedom but taking a look at the draft of the new Iraqi Constitution is this what freedom looks like? Does this vision of a democratic Iraq seem like a farce to me because I live in a Western culture or should the Iraqi people expect and deserve more?
In Basra, Iraq's second most populous city, the religious police is already beating physicians for treating female patients, liquor salesmen have been killed, public singing is forbidden, even barbers have faced threats for giving haircuts judged too short or too fashionable, women no longer dare to go out uncovered.
A local businessman compared the current strict rule to life under Hussein.
Some ominous articles of the new Iraqi Constitution:
Article 1, for example, states who may become a citizen of Iraq:
"Any individual with another nationality (except for Israel) may obtain Iraqi nationality after a period of residency inside the borders of Iraq of not less than ten years for an Arab or twenty years for any other nationality.
"An Iraqi may have more than one nationality as long as the nationality is not Israeli."
Article 5 is filled with words like freedom, equality but then it reads:
"The state shall take responsibility for combating moral and behavioral depravity and encourage people and agencies to spread virtue, providing it help and support. The state shall ensure harmony between the duties of woman toward her family and her work in the society and equality with men in the fields of political, social, and economic life without conflicting with or disturbing the provisions of the Islamic shari'a."
Article 6 speaks of freedom of opinion, expression, press and then reads:
"There is no censorship on newspapers, printing, publishing, advertising, or media except by law."
Just like article 6 paves the way for censorship, article 9 also uses the same vague phrase in cases defined by law, to limit citizen's right to travel outside and inside the country.
Article 12 reads:
Citizens are equal in assuming public positions in accordance with the conditions established by law.
The ruling Shiite alliance is already conquering power through political force, intimidation and intrigue.
I will just mention one more, Article 13:
"Public and private freedoms are protected provided they do not conflict with moralvalues and public decency. Citizens’ private lives are protected. Citizens may enjoy it in compliance with moral values and decency. No citizen has the right to deviancy in the use of his right or to exercise any of his rights"
Is this the ripple effect of reform throughout the Middle East?
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:46 pm Posts: 9617 Location: Medford, Oregon Gender: Male
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All I meant was that the typical American has been spoon-fed their news story for the next 4 months, the SC nominee. I don't expect the media to focus on much else during that time, which is a shame. But I still care...
_________________ Deep below the dunes I roved Past the rows, past the rows Beside the acacias freshly in bloom I sent men to their doom
All I meant was that the typical American has been spoon-fed their news story for the next 4 months, the SC nominee. I don't expect the media to focus on much else during that time, which is a shame. But I still care...
4 months is a lot of time in the news world, if next week there's another suicide attack in, for example, Italy or Denmark, which according to Al-Qaeda, are the next targets, I think John Roberts will cease to be the biggest news story.
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