Finding Allies
Here's an example of how an Islamic republic, feared by the ill-informed, can forge strong ties with former enemies, particularly former enemies whose religious majority holds different beliefs.
As far as I'm concerned, this is good reason to have faith in the constitutional process in Iraq. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Fly.
With this article, we see the typical solution to any argument in the Middle East: if you can't come up with a legitimate rhetorical counter to something you don't like, blame it on Israel! I'm not terribly concerned about Amr Moussa's reservations, though. For one thing, Iraq isn't an Arab country. It's an Arab and Kurdish country. The Arab Sunnis in Iraq are bound to be displeased with the Constitution. They're not in the majority in Iraq, and they haven't been for centuries. They're going to have to accept that they don't call the shots anymore, and that their best option is to start compromising and forging alliances within the government. Sunni Arabs were discouraged by their leaders from voting in the January election, and it came back to bite them in the ass. Whether they're happy with the Iraqi constitution or not, they won't make the same mistake the next time, and they will learn that their participation in the democratic process will be a crucial element in their future prosperity.
I maintain my faith that important progress is being made in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I encourage you to either maintain your own faith in the process, or reconsider your skepticism if your faith has declined. This is important stuff, and it's the foundation of peace and freedom in the Middle East.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has laid the foundation stone for a new Afghan parliament building in Kabul on the second day of a historic visit.
On Sunday, Mr Singh and Afghan president Hamid Karzai inaugurated a school renovated by India.
The two sides pledged to fight against terrorism describing it as a threat against democracy.
Mr Singh is the first Indian prime minister to visit Afghanistan in nearly three decades.
The war-ravaged country is a strategically crucial ally for India which is one of Afghanistan's biggest donors.
As far as I'm concerned, this is good reason to have faith in the constitutional process in Iraq. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with Fly.
Parts of the Iraqi draft constitution are a "recipe for chaos", Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa has said.
He told the BBC the Arab League shared Sunni Muslim concerns over federalism and the fact the charter does not identify Iraq as an Arab country.
The US and UK have played down Sunni leaders' rejection of the text, which will go to a referendum by 15 October.
About 2,000 Sunnis in Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit took to the streets to voice their opposition to the plan.
Many waved pictures of the former Iraqi leader, and a statement was read out denouncing the constitution as a "Jewish" document that would divide Iraq along sectarian lines.
With this article, we see the typical solution to any argument in the Middle East: if you can't come up with a legitimate rhetorical counter to something you don't like, blame it on Israel! I'm not terribly concerned about Amr Moussa's reservations, though. For one thing, Iraq isn't an Arab country. It's an Arab and Kurdish country. The Arab Sunnis in Iraq are bound to be displeased with the Constitution. They're not in the majority in Iraq, and they haven't been for centuries. They're going to have to accept that they don't call the shots anymore, and that their best option is to start compromising and forging alliances within the government. Sunni Arabs were discouraged by their leaders from voting in the January election, and it came back to bite them in the ass. Whether they're happy with the Iraqi constitution or not, they won't make the same mistake the next time, and they will learn that their participation in the democratic process will be a crucial element in their future prosperity.
I maintain my faith that important progress is being made in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I encourage you to either maintain your own faith in the process, or reconsider your skepticism if your faith has declined. This is important stuff, and it's the foundation of peace and freedom in the Middle East.
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