Bless Omar

Can I get a hell yes?

Those flyers are different from the ones that were distributed prior to the January elections by this party and other Sunni entities; this time they're encouraging their fellow Sunnis to take part in the referendum and the next elections describing the people's commitment to the constitutional process as a "must do" social and patriotic duty and describing the party's campaign to encourage joining the process as a "must do" religious duty.

It's interesting that this time they were digging for proofs in the Quran and Hadith (sayings of the prophet) to support and justify their calls for taking part in the referendum and elections. They even chose a Hadith where the prophet is supposed to have legalized having a social contract with "nonbelievers" if that contract is going to serve the interests of the community and that's in my opinion is a huge change.

That's for all you wankers out there who are running around with your knickers in a twist over there being an inclusion of Islamic laws and doctrines in the new Iraqi constitution.

At this point, I'm more and more tempted to liken the new Iraq to the state government of Utah. Utah is positively swarming with Latter-day Saints. It's their state, just like Iraq belongs to Shi'i Muslim Arabs, and to a lesser degree, Arab and Kurdish Sunni Muslims. Now, let's not fool ourselves: Utah isn't a paradise for people who aren't Mormons. My folks were in Utah a couple of years ago, and they almost ran out of gas because they happened to be driving through on a Sunday. You can't get a good pint in Utah because you have to be a member of a registered drinking club or something in order to consume alcohol. I've heard horror stories of people who couldn't get employment, or if they owned a business, couldn't get any customers if they weren't church members.

Are the liberals calling Utah a quagmire? Are they crying "theocracy" and decrying Utah as a flagrant violator of the sacred (read: non-existent) separation of church and state? Absolutely not.

I see the future Iraq in much the same way that I see Utah. It's too hot, and it's full of, and dominated by, people who have a completely different view of history, faith, and the world than I do. Does that mean that the Iraqis (or the Utahns, for that matter) can't be allies? Does it mean that they will be openly hostile, just because they're different? Of course not. The Iraqi people, and particularly the Iraqi interim government, understand two major things:

Their best chance at peace and prosperity is to enforce a policy of freedom and justice, being respectful of both the majority and the minority.

Their only chance of a coalition demobilization from their country is to take charge of their own security by killing the terrorists and pressing on with democratic development, thus ensuring that the terrorists fail completely and entirely in their mission.

The laws in Utah reflect the culture and beliefs of the majority, while respecting the minority of Utahns who aren't Mormons. And yes, it's even built around scripture (example) in the Utahn system.

So, why should we be so afraid of the same situation in Iraq, a country that understands better than Utahns the value of freedom and minority rights? The answer is that we shouldn't be so afraid of it.