Iraqis Head to the Polls Clinging to Hope Amid Fears
Iraqis lined up by the hundreds at the polls on Saturday morning to vote on the constitutional referendum. Christian leaders and experts, however, question its implementation once it gains a simple majority vote of approval this weekend.
Iraqis lined up by the hundreds at the polls on Saturday morning to vote on the constitutional referendum. Christian leaders and experts, however, question its implementation once it gains a simple majority vote of approval this weekend.
The turnout of voters to the estimated 6,100 polling stations was high with some Shiite cities reporting greater numbers than the vote in January.
"It will be a significant milestone in the establishment of an electoral democracy in the Arab Middle East," said Nina Shea, director of Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom, in a released statement.
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Among the 119 electoral democracies Freedom House counts in the world, Shea points out that "not one is an Arab nation."
"Come Dec. 15, when elections are to [be] held for a new government, Iraq will take another major step towards becoming the only one," she said.
While hopes are high for the new charter to protect human rights and religious freedom and guarantee women representation in parliament, many fear its potential to undermine democracy with Islam taking on a powerful role and amendments now allowed to be adopted by the next parliament.
"We are concerned that it may be the first step in creating what is called an 'illiberal democracy,' or even in undermining democracy altogether," said Shea. "We fear the powerful role given to Islam in the constitution - a role that is likely to negate the positive language on religious freedom and other individual human rights."
Iraq's National Assembly endorsed changes to the constitution Wednesday to draw the votes of the Sunni Party, who have been chanting "no" slogans to the referendum.
"The people drafting this constitution are quite sincere, but the question is how many compromises they are willing to make?" said Imad Harb, an Iraq specialist at the nonpartisan U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington, according to Reuters.
"The provisions of the bill of rights are subject to ambiguities and contradictions contained elsewhere in the constitution," stated Shea.
Pointing out "two competing and diametrically opposed visions of society," Shea explicated one to be "based on individual rights and principles of equality, and the other grounded in a shari’a (Islamic law) regime of group rights, in which rights are conditioned on a person’s membership in a discriminatory hierarchy of groups ... and where the basic rights of all individuals are subordinated to the group."
Sunni insurgency against the charter has risen in the event of the poll date. Among Baghdad's 1,200 polling stations, five were attacked and bombed. Coalition forces upped security, fanning out Iraqi police and army troops across Baghdad and around polling sites and closing Iraq's borders and its international airport.
The draft can be defeated by a two-thirds vote in any three provinces.
Many still cling on to hope as they mark "yes" to the question "Do you agree on the permanent constitution project?"
Tired of terrorists and violence, 30-year-old Zeinab Sahib said, "This constitution means unity and hope," according to The Associated Press.
Shea also sees a ray of hope for the new constitution if the right steps are taken.
Commenting on an article on the draft that stated the inclusion of "experts in Islamic jurisprudence" in the Afghan supreme court, Shea said, "The administration should now use its considerable leverage ... to require civil-law education for all the judges who serve on the supreme court, and require other such amendments to ensure that religious freedom and other fundamental human rights are finally guaranteed in the country's founding document.
"Iraq's future as a democracy depends on it."
