:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Friday 18 April 2003 ::

No to America, No to a secular state, yes to an Islamic state.

I just caught some footage of the big march in Baghdad yesterday.

More than 20,000 people marched through Baghdad yesterday in the biggest anti-American protest so far, just nine days after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
...
Waving Korans, placards and banners, they demanded the establishment of an Islamic state and the withdrawal of the "army of occupation".
...
Shia and Sunni clerics urged the congregation, in fiery sermons, to show their bitterness to the Americans. The marchers came from several mosques and converged in Azamiyah, a central district, for the peaceful protest.

As they gathered in the streets, the marchers chanted: "Leave our country, Iraq belongs to Iraqis." Banners in English and Arabic declared: "No to America. No to Secular State. Yes to Islamic State", "We reject American hegemony", "No Bush, No Saddam, Yes Yes to Islam", "No Shias, no Sunnis. Yes, Yes for United Islam" and "We want true freedom, not American puppets".

Sad, really. 9 days = occupation. Puhlease. Israel is the reason for the war. Jeez. The Americans are still to finish restoring all the water and power and they should leave?

Ridiculous.

If you have to put your money down on any one outcome for Iraw, I reckon it is this: there will be no Islamic Iraq.

None.

Know why?

Girlies. They are not about to go from Saddamite secular despotism to Islamic despotism. And that is what happens in that part of the world when Islam is made the ruling theory. There is not a single Islamic, or even moderate Muslim, country on the face of the planet that does not treat its women way worse than the poorest and most backward Western nation, much less Oz, UK and US.

Not one.

Disgusting, but true. Indonesia, Oz's neighbour is the closest thing we can get to a moderate Muslim nation and even they struggle with preposterous divorce and property laws, and home grown terrorism.

Then the outcome of those elections can be as Iraqi, irrational, fabulous, free as they like. So long as there is a separation of mosque and state we can all feel comfortable that the chador and the burka will not be compulsory - cos if anyone tried, a challenge could be mounted that such an attempt to impose Islamic modesty on women is simply unconsitutional.

Ever read the Iraqi consitution? This is important. It is worth a read. To see the reference to Revolutionary Council, and see the enshrined socialist aims. Read it. Understand it. Set it aside. Replace it.

This is where that country will start its better future.

I do not believe the imam of any mosque is in any position to advise sensibly on how that foundation document should be crafted.

And that is the thing that has to happen. And Oz in particular should step up with suggested drafting for that foundation document. Because we do federation beautifully. NO Revolutionary Council needed.


:: WB 11:09 pm [link+] ::