.Two Iraqi Views on Why There Is Sectionarian In Iraq Today
"My conclusionI agree and have been saying as much for a few years now. But when you confront an Iraqi with this they usually try to change the subject.
My oft-stated opinion is it an Iraqi myth that there was, generally, so much love among Iraqis for other sects until Saddam's vile regime fell. Comitantly, I consider it further to be a myth that sectarian hatred was imported either by the American "occupiers", by al-Qaeda, or by Iran. Granted al-Qaeda, Syria, the people of the West Bank, Jordan, and Egypt, and certainly Iran too have nurtured and funded sectarian violence. It is true that they have exported murderers. But, I assert, all they've done is cast tares into a rich compost of sectarian distrust and resentment -- a compost heap that Saddam deliberately piled in order to keep the Iraqis in line. Finally, I assert that Saddam's compost heap would eventually have caught-up, if not with Saddam himself, then at least with Iraq, and that what is happening in Iraq today, is a mere taste of what would have happened if the U.S. had not stepped in (ala Afghanistan)."
IBC
posted by madtom at 1:02 PM
2 Comments:
Absolutely.
It is not at all an exaggeration to say that the Sadrites are more Saddam's children than either Iran's or Sistani's. Syria aids former regime insurgents and Iran funds Sadr, but their power comes from the foundations that Saddam laid.
A lot of Iraqi bloggers whose opinions I deeply respect still retain their faith in the illusion that "Iraqis all got along not so long ago". I presume the reason is because they *want* to believe the current strife is only a passing phase and can be easily resolved.
Of course they all got along, talking out of line could get you jailed or killed. No one dared speak their mind. Your everyday shi'a Joe would go about his day and if they spoke to anyone in a upper class they held their eyes down and said yes sir, no sir. Everyone looked happy to stay in their [lace. But that was just an illusion and illusion made real by fear and intimidation. Once the regime was gone and once they gained political power they are refusing to go around with their eyes looking down, now they will look you straight in the face and that bothers all those that used to wield absolute power. It's payback time and unfortunately there has not been anyone to stand up as a true leader to put people to work on building a proper society and so people are out there running around on their own trying to move themselves up the ladder before someone comes along and takes their chance away.
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