First of all and before anyone who
reads the headline accuses me with all the sectarian accusations and call me
all sorts of names, which are always ready to confront whoever wants to say the
truth, and loathe sectarianism, I would like to say that I’m originally Half Sunni
and half Shia. Or as I jokingly respond when I'm asked about my sect I say that I'm ( Sushi). Just like many of Iraqis and even tribes who refused to recognize
the sectarian divisions and defragmentation, which only became obvious when
those who call Shia ( our shia brothers)
, and those who call Sunnies ( our Sunni brothers) arrived , and it turned up
that their brotherhood was like Able and
Cane’s.
What was really interesting lately is the flagrant hypocrisy, the
multiple personality and unethical standards, which materialized today in the
Iraqi political and public arena which is about to storm Iraq and drag it into
a new phase of despicable sectarian fighting. By this I mean what is happening
in Syria and how it is being greatly reflected on the situation in Iraq.
Let us review what is going on in Syria today and the position of the
ruling Shia parties and the Shia public which listens to those parties propaganda
and follow their policies. shia parties struggled and fought against Saddam
Hussein’s Ba’thist regime, which relied on its sect and its small clan to
dominate, control and oppress the overwhelming majority of his people of various
sects and ethnicities , and considered whoever rise against his regime as armed terrorist groups and
agents to foreign countries. Now, isn't it hypocritical that those same parties
and politicians support another Ba’thist , which practices exactly the same
thing that the old Ba’thist regime, which they used to fight , used to do? Just
because he is oppressing and brutally killing the other sect and they also
consider them terrorist groups, agents to other countries?!
The Shia politicians and community criticized, actually attacked, the
Arab countries accusing them of supporting Saddam Hussein and keeping silent
over his crimes that he committed against his people, the majority of whom are
shia in Iraq. Here we got to ask again, isn’t it hypocritical from the side of
the politicians and the leaders at the Shia party to do exactly what they have
criticized the Arab leaders and countries of doing? And even more, facilitating
the transfer of weapons and fighters to Syria to oppress the Syrian people? And
furthermore, publicly celebrating the Iraqi Shia fighters who return from Syria
in coffins after being killed in a struggle that they have nothing to do with?
Here we must ask, isn't that Ba’thist regime is the same one who facilitated the crossing of terrorists into Iraq , as it was accused by those same politicians who are now supporting this regime? Isn't that the same regime which was sending the car bombs to Iraq? Isn't that same regime which was glorifying the insurgency and the former Iraqi regime elements? What can we call the support of the Iraqi government today to this inevitably falling regime, other than absolute hypocrisy, and empowerment of the despicable sectarianism, which this Government has adopted?
Is it in the best interest of the Iraqi people to win the animosity of a neighboring Arab country , just to serve the sectarian interests of a regional states, which is spreading sectarianism and hatred and destabilizes the whole region for its own purposes?
These are questions that every Iraqi, shia in particular, should address and ask it to their politicians, and they should confront themselves with and to elevate beyond the despicable sectarianism and think about the best interests for them and their future. And what is ethical position that they take today and let them remember that one day they suffered from the same injustice and oppression that the Syrian people are going through today. And after all that, here comes the Iraqi PM and writes and Op-ed in the Washington Post titled (The U.S. has a foreign-policy partner in Iraq)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/nouri-al-maliki-the-us-has-a-foreign-policy-partner-in-iraq/2013/04/08/dcb9f8a6-a05e-11e2-82bc-511538ae90a4_story.html?hpid=z8)
While he defends Iran’s policies
in the region and defends his relation with Iran and describes the rebels I Syria
and those who sympathize with them in
Iraq as “terrorists”.
