Miscellany

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Different issues are crowding in my mind. The most important one, for now, is the parliamentary election to take place tomorrow. It is the most significant milestone to reach in the long march of achieving peaceful democratic New Iraq. Though the picture of the future seems to be dim, but frankly I get lot of encouragement from what Mr. Bush said in his speech at World Affairs Council on December 12:

“The eight years from the end of the Revolutionary War to the election of a constitutional government were a time of disorder and upheaval. There were uprisings, with mobs attacking courthouses and government buildings. There was a planned military coup that was defused only by the personal intervention of General Washington.”

This wonderful man, as I view him from abroad, is helping the Iraqi people to recover their real identity. He is trying to raise the Iraqi's spirits by sharing his nation’s experiences with them and to show that man history is similar. I’m looking at the past (approximately) three years and the political liveliness spreading in the Iraqi society since invading Iraq which was a dream before that. I believe that the year 2005 will represent a significant one in the history of Iraq or as Mr. Bush says:

“…the year 2005 will be recorded as a turning point in the history of Iraq, the history of the Middle East, and the history of freedom.”

Still, the whole process needs to be supervised by a rational power to prevent it from backsliding; that power is the US. As an example of it:

“We encouraged Iraq's leaders to reach out to Sunni leaders, and bring them into the governing process.”

And

“Recently, U.S. and Iraqi troops have discovered prisons in Iraq where mostly Sunni men were held, some of whom have appeared to have been beaten and tortured. This conduct is unacceptable…"

And

“Slowly but surely, with the help of our coalition, Iraqis are replacing the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law, and ensuring equal justice for all their citizens.”

Mr. Bush, as a man of insight, is aware of it and he succeeds in pointing to what tasks are waiting ahead:

“…ensuring Iraqi security, forming an inclusive Iraqi government, encouraging Iraqi reconciliation, and maintaining Iraqi democracy in a tough neighborhood.”

In which I find the last one is the most important, since democracy can improve or correct what goes wrong.

The president is reading my mind. I’m an ordinary Iraqi citizen who suffered not much as other Iraqis, but I look forward to decent peaceful way of life for me, for other people and for the coming generations. US is playing the main role in making my dreams become true:

“… 160,000 of America's finest are putting their lives on the line so Iraqis can succeed. The American and Iraqi people share the same interests and the same enemies -- and by helping democracy succeed in Iraq, we bring greater security to our citizens here at home.”.... “Yet Iraqis are showing they have the patience and the courage to make democracy work-- and Americans have the patience and courage to help them succeed.”

Such words and deeds on ground makes people, in the Mideast, regain confidence and trust in brotherhood that crosses borders & seas to embrace all mankind. We’ve been taught for decades not to trust non-Muslims, non-Arabs, non-Iraqis, non-one’s sect, non-one’s family and none but one’s self.

But let me tell you that election culture has just started to take root in the Iraqi society and needs to be looked after.

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Another issue I wanted to write about is an ABC NEWS POLL but I’ll postpone it for now, though Mr. Bush mentioned something similar by saying

“Democracy is only going to succeed if people say, my life is going to be better.”

The poll says that more than six in 10 Iraqis feel very safe in their own neighborhoods, up sharply from 40 percent in a June 2004 survey.


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Back to human rights violations. Another case revealed, on Sunday December 11, when U.S. and Iraqi officials said they had discovered at least 12 cases of what an Iraq official called "severe torture" at a prison run by the Interior Ministry's special police commandos.