Stay the course!
Premature handover would be disastrous
By Marilyn M. Brannan, Assoc. Editor
Unravelling The New World Order

There is one issue in Iraq that could ultimately have the cruel effect of minimizing the sacrifice made by those who have lost their lives thus far in Operation Iraqi Freedom and those uncounted thousands who were brutally murdered under the regime of Saddam Hussein. It is not the suicide bombings or the on-going guerrilla activity. The issue is the question of how Iraq will be governed once the coalition forces have pulled out.

Much media attention is being focused on Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq 's most powerful Shi'ite cleric who has been vociferously calling for immediate, direct elections. Sistani has been encouraged by some who would like nothing better than to see a premature and hastily conceived changeover process in Iraq that would result in that country being ruled once again by terror masquerading as religion.

The reality that Sistani and like thinkers are ignoring is that enduring freedom under a democratic republic does not simply spring forth, full-blown, from the desire of a people to be free. It can only take root and flourish in constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of the press, religion, and speech. Neighboring Iran 's “referendum” in 1979 should sound a cautionary note: A quarter-century after Iran 's ill-conceived “leap toward freedom,” that country is still locked in the iron clutches of the mullahs. Unfortunately, it appears Iraq could move in the same direction.

In a fairly recent development that was a surprise to many, the Iraqi Governing Council passed a resolution (December 29), making family law subject to sharia, or Islamic law. The resolution was introduced by the acting chair of the IGC, Abdul Aziz Hakim, who heads the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq , a party that seeks actively to bring Islamist rule to Iraq and which receives funding from Iran . One journalist reports that travelers to the south of Iraq have noted a growing Iranian presence in newspapers, on the radio, and through the direct financing of political parties.

Although sharia varies somewhat depending on the locale, it could safely be said that if sharia is to be the basis for Iraq's civil law, the hope of freedom for 50% of the population—the women—will be severely undermined, and the rights of all religious minorities—Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims—will be jeopardized.

Clifford D. May, journalist and president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, writes that Ambassador Bremer has been reluctant to “take sides” among the various Iraqi factions, even while our sworn enemies in that region are aggressively promoting their favorites (“Winning the Peace, Jan. 22, 2004). “And our communications efforts within Iraq have been inexcusably inept from the start,” he said, adding, “This is not how the Cold War was won.”

May reported on January 22 that Sen. Rick Santorum, a strong supporter of President Bush's policies in Iraq , “wrote a tough letter to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. official in Iraq , conveying his concern over ‘grave and growing threats' to individual freedoms in Iraq .” In particular, Santorum referred to the resolution passed by the IGC.

Why, after the costly investment of human lives and resources to bring freedom and stability to Iraq , would the U.S. trust such an important part of the overall process to chance? Joel Mowbray (“Increasing Islamic Influence in Iraq,” TownHall.com , Jan. 21, 2004) points out that it was the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) that loaded up the 25-member Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) with Islamists. Some on the council are committed to secular democracy, and three of the members are women. But the heaviest clout within the IGC is obviously with the Islamists.

While the Americans are trying to agree on a plan for transferring sovereignty to the Iraqis, Iranian mullahs are busily implementing their own plan to turn Iraq 's Shia population against the U.S. in favor of Islamist rule.

From an Observer on the Ground

Another individual who has conveyed his strong convictions on this subject is Rev. Ken Joseph, Jr., an Assyrian Christian (who also happens to be a pastor) living with his family in Baghdad . He directs the website, www.Assyrianchristians.com and is writing a book about his experiences in Iraq entitled, “I Was Wrong.” Joseph's perspective on the current situation in Iraq is gleaned from having been there since March 2003. He gave testimony last fall to congressional committees in Washington on this issue, and he shares his views in a number of articles published by United Press International and available at the website he directs.

Rev. Joseph writes that Paul Bremer's clear testimony before the congressional committee last fall was that they (Coalition Provisional Authority) were doing their best to get a good, secular constitution for the Iraqi people; but, because Iraq is a Muslim country, they really had no choice and could not insist on a secular constitution. Joseph said it seemed clear to him at that point that an Islamist constitution was inevitable.

Later, when meeting with a member of the Preparatory Committee for the Constitution, the group charged with actually making the recommendations for the constitution of Iraq , Rev. Joseph was completely taken aback when that individual stated, “The committee will be recommending that there be no inclusion of any ideology or religion in the constitution . . . . If there is any mention of religion or ideology or a phrase such as ‘Islam is the religion of the state,' it will be the death of democracy in Iraq .”

The committee member continued, “The Iraqi people are secular and will never accept any mention of this in the constitution. We do not want to become like Iran . We just want to become like a normal country. We want a constitution that is secular and gives local autonomy. . . .We have suffered for many, many long years under dictatorship and we will never, never lose this chance for democracy and freedom that has finally come to us.”

Joseph says, “I was stunned! Why was the message so different? I then proceeded to explain the testimony of Ambassador Bremer before various congressional committees which I had attended, as well as my personal conversation with him.”

The committee representative's response was anger initially, then surprise, Joseph noted. “We thought the Americans wanted democracy to grow in Iraq ! Why would they even think of an Islamic constitution?”

That, no doubt, is the question that many Americans would have upon reading Joseph's account, and especially upon hearing of the more recent development at the end of December when the IGC passed the resolution making family law subject to Islamic law. Why would the Americans fight a war to liberate Iraq only to let the country fall into an Islamic government potentially as bad the one it had before?

Premature Handover

To the continual questions about “problems in Iraq ,” Rev. Joseph concedes that of course there are problems in Iraq . But the BIG problem, he says, is the current plan to hand over the government on June 30. It is clear when speaking to U.S. officials, he says, that they expect a civil war and chaos if the schedule goes forward as planned.

Ken Joseph's strong exhortation to the U.S. is, “Keep to the original plan—a secular, democratic constitution with local autonomy, free and fair elections, and a sitting parliament.”

Joseph strongly believes the majority of the Iraqi people do not want a handover on July 1. Despite the bombings and the other instances of terrorist activity being carried out in some parts of Iraq by anti-Coalition, anti-democracy forces, Rev. Joseph believes the Assyrians and the Iraqis are strong peoples who have the will to survive the chaos and hold onto their belief that Iraq will eventually be free and democratic.

The best way to honor all those who have died during the war, in bombings and guerrilla attacks over the past eight months, and during the murderous regime of Saddam Hussein is to ensure that Iraq succeeds and sends a message to the rest of the Middle East and the world: Democracy, freedom, and rule of law is possible in the Middle East, and all people are created equal and deserve to be free.

In his State of the Union address on January 20, President Bush said, “We have not come all this way—through tragedy, and trial, and war—only to falter and leave our work unfinished.”

To that we say, “Amen.”