"Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change."
- Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 1929
Following up on my previous post in which I mentioned the difficulties the Iraqis were experiencing in drafting their interim constitution, this N.Y. Times article (brief registration required) by Dexter Filkins reports they have succeeded:
"If approved, the interim constitution would be the most progressive such document in the Arab world. Even before the hard bargaining began, there was wide agreement on many of its major features, including the freedom of speech, press and assembly and the free exercise of religion."
The document also provides for an independent judiciary, civilian control over the military, some autonomy for the Kurds, and for 25 per cent of the seats in the national assembly to be held by women.
We are witnessing historical precedents in Iraq. I hope we will continue giving these people our support as they move closer to creating a new government and taking control of their own destiny.
I believe that many of the citizens of Iran, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries are watching what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan and wishing it were happening for them too. Who knows? Perhaps some day it will, and that would be wonderful.
My hat's off to everyone who helped make this happen. They should be proud of what they have accomplished and recognize it as a huge step in their journey toward a free society.
6 comments:
I, for one, pray that this process continues in this vein. There is no way that any sane person would hope for anything less. The fact is we are there and we have to nurture this new society slowly. It is all so very new--the concept and the reality of it all will all take time. One step at a time is the only way they will succeed. We all have to be patient.
I too, agree. But that is easy for me to say because my son is safe right here in the US and not abroad fighting for many who would just as soon see his soul roast in hell. I'm not sure how I'd feel if he were at risk like he was in the Gulf War. It's always easy to cheer others on from the sidelines when there is no personal sacrafice at stake.
Unfortunately, this could be a fairly emphemeral constitution. Juan Cole, an American specialist in Shi'a Islam, is skeptical: "What has happened is merely that the big fights have been postponed for the constitutional convention next year. At that point there will be no reason to compromise, no urgency, and there will be every reason to poison the well for ideologues who don't get their way."
http://www.juancole.com/2004_03_01_juancole_archive.html#107812182429624852 - Bruce
Yes, it will be a hard fight, and there are many skeptics. I've been one myself. But I'm choosing to maintain some optimism for these people and hope they are able to work through their differences for the common good of their country. I think there are many Iraqis who are optimistic too. Thanks for the link, Bruce. I'll check it out.
After this, Ahmad Chalabi and several Shiite members of the Interim Governing Council backed out from signing the deal. The main issues seem to be the concessions to the Kurds and the level of legal protection given to women. - Bruce
The good news this week is that the constitution was signed. The bad news is that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the principal spiritual leader of the majority Shiites, says that it's illegitimate. And the bomb attacks last week in two Shiite cities have strengthened the Shiite militia movement. - Bruce
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