Islamist Regime in Iraq?

According to Amir Taheri, the establishment of an "Islamist regime" is neither likely nor desirable.

Do the Iraqis want an Islamist regime?

The question is pertinent and must be debated. At least five major public opinion polls conducted since the liberation show that support for such a regime hovers around three to four percent. In one poll, the question whether an Iranian-style Islamic Republic would be suitable for Iraq drew a positive response from only one percent of the respondents.

None of Iraq’s dozen or so political parties — from the secularists to religious Shiites — demands the creation of an Islamic state. Nor can one find a single prominent Iraqi intellectual who would wish to establish a religious regime.
[...]
Any attempt at imposing an Iraqi version of Khomeinism would lead to civil war and the dismemberment of the country.
[...]
The only effective way to settle these matters is through free and fair elections.

Nowhere has an Islamist party come to power through the ballot box.
[...]
Iraq needs free and fair elections to choose a transitional government that would write a draft constitution for submission to a referendum. It may be difficult to hold elections by the end of June, the deadline set by Washington.

But there is no reason why a new deadline for elections cannot be set.

The United States cannot simply hand over Iraq to just anybody and then leave. It must leave only when it can transfer power to a freely elected Iraqi Parliament as the true expression of the nation’s sovereignty. This is what the US did in many other countries, notably in postwar Western Europe and Japan. There is no reason why Iraq should receive a different treatment.

Apologies for the extended quote, but there is simply so much to this article that deserves attention and consideration that I wanted to be sure that I captured some of those thoughts. There is quite a bit more to it, and I urge you to read the rest for yourself.

As often as the Arab News runs articles that anger me with their conspiracy theory looniness and anti-Israeli sentiment, they also run articles from intelligent, moderate writers like Taheri. These writers continue to give me hope that this is a new age of liberalism arriving in the Middle East. A slow progression, to be sure, but something to be encouraged.

These writers and thinkers are also the people who can help us understand the role we need to play, and the work we need to accomplish, to truly be successful in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read the rest of the story.

Posted by zombyboy at February 27, 2004 11:08 AM | TrackBack