Despite Iraq's March 7, 2010 democratic elections, prominent journalists in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and in the Egyptian government daily Al-Gumhouriyya questioned the ability of the Arabs to maintain a democratic regime anywhere, let alone in Iraq. They argued that democracy is the result of a political culture diametrically opposed to the tribal Arab culture, which they noted is characterized by inherited power, sectarianism, and a reliance on blood ties – factors which led to the failure of democratic experiments in Algeria, Palestine, and Sudan. They claimed that the elections in Iraq were an American fabrication, and a mere illusion of democracy.
Following are excerpts from articles on the subject:
Al-Arabiya Director-General: Iraq Elections are a Celebration That Will Never Be Repeated
'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, Al-Arabiya director-general and former editor of the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, stressed that Arab citizens fear democracy because of failed past attempts to institute it in the Arab world. He wrote: "Is Iraq's democracy contagious? Not at all. Quite the opposite. The autocratic regimes which exist in the region... are more capable of infiltrating minds and borders, and they are the ones that dominate the region today...
"I ask everyone not to fear the scenes of voting, the massive army of voters, the candidates' [campaign] announcements, the election [propaganda] promising change, and the fall and rise of local [political] elements [as a result of elections by Iraq's] citizens. This is an exceptional [democratic] celebration that will never be repeated in this region, because its birth pangs are so difficult, and there is no superpower in the world that can take it upon itself to sponsor or protect it.
"The Iraqi experience is the result of extraordinary circumstances. It [emanated] from the need to topple the Saddam Hussein regime, following the failure of civilian and armed oppositions, and of the plan to stage a coup or to poison [Saddam]. The new Iraqi regime was born in a pool of blood... The idea of imposing democracy is frightening and hated, and there is a regional consensus to fight it...
"The fear [is] that, in the future, the Iraqi leadership will catch the virus of autocracy – not that democracy will infiltrate into the twenty nearby states. Democracy is [the result] of culture, of slow qualitative development, and it is a difficult task for a tribal societies where most people are illiterate or semi-illiterate. It is not easy for the Iraqi ruler to agree to give up his power simply because his term ended, or to risk his [political] life and turn to the people who will judge him [by means of] elections...
"Algeria, Sudan, and Palestine [represent] three democratic experiments that were crushed by force at a tender age, and [these countries] are now worse off than they were before. These experiments have made the public fear the concept [of democracy]. Then came the events of Iraq, making them tremble with fear that tomorrow they will be told to go out and vote!"[1]
Dr. Mamoun Fandy: Attempts at Democracy in Iraq and Lebanon – A Contemptible Deception
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Al-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Dr. Mamoun Fandy wrote: "The elections in Iraq cause us Arabs to question whether democracy is possible in our countries, appearing from thin air. Iraq and Lebanon are two examples which have debunked the illusion of Arab democracy and the possibility that it will become a reality in our lifetime – for those of us over the age of 40...
"The Iraqis are still talking about fraud in the [recent] elections. It seems that the entire world believes Saddam Hussein is dead and his regime has ended, yet the Iraqis themselves still act very much like the Ba'thists during Saddam's lifetime. [They have] inquisitorial courts in the form of Iraq's Accountability and Justice Commission, formerly known as the De-Ba'thification Commission, has [heretofore] prevented some 15 political bodies from running for the elections, claiming them to have Ba'thist roots... Is it logical for such Fascist acts to be carried out in this [new] entity that claims democracy as its future?
"Democracy is a long-term process, and it does not come into being overnight. To the world, the Iraqis today look like bats who have emerged from the darkness of dictatorship into the sunlight. The behavior of the De-Ba'thification Committee and others like it is identical to that of bats, who are not used to transparency and light...
"In terms of inherited [political power]... Iraq is no different from Lebanon or other neighboring countries. [Thus, for example,] 'Ammar Al-Hakim, [head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq party], inherited the leadership from his father, 'Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Hakim, who himself inherited the leadership of the Supreme Council from his brother and father. Muqtada Al-Sadr likewise inherited [the leadership from] his father, Muhammad Sadeq Al-Sadr, despite Muqtada's young age and minimal political experience. Iraq... is inclined towards feudalism and sectarianism and not towards democracy...
"The Iraqis must take up a huge challenge if they are to progress from a world of inherited [political power], sectarianism, feudalism, and traditionalist leaderships towards the democratic world of competing ideas and plans. Anyone who looks at Western democratic parties, like the Republican Party in the U.S. or the Conservative or Labour [Parties] in Britain, understands that the wisdom [of democracy] lies in the ability of these parties to solve citizens' problems, their ability to confront the financial crisis or to propose serious plans for addressing education and health problems – this is democracy, [as is] bringing leaders to trial for their actions... But outward expressions of democracy, like the elections in Lebanon and Iraq, are [no more than] a grand illusion. What goes on in these two countries has nothing to do with democracy...
"In a previous article for this paper, I wrote that the best thing the Arabs [currently] aspire towards is a good tribal sheikh or a tolerant dictator... since it is not ideological affiliations but blood ties that govern us. Democracy in the West resulted as a response to European modernity. We still haven't reached the threshold of modernity, yet we nonetheless delude ourselves [into thinking] that we are witnessing great democratic experiments in Iraq and Lebanon. Iraq and Lebanon – they [represent] a deception, and there is no escaping [the need to] condemn them if we wish to seriously [consider] the future of democracy in the Arab world."[2]
Egyptian Columnist: The Elections are an American Creation That Won't Change Iraqis' Lives
Samir Ragab, former editor and former chairman of the board of directors of the Egyptian government daily Al-Gumhouriyya, wrote in his daily column for the paper: "How is [the head of the Iraqi National List and former Interim Prime Minister Ayad] 'Allawi different from [current Prime Minister Nouri] Al-Maliki or from ['Abd Al-'Aziz] Al-Hakim and others? Are they not all [part of] the American creation...? Did they not come to Iraq riding the spearhead of the invaders, thereby rendering their representation of the people dubious and incapable of ever reflecting integrity and honesty? What sort of elections have all their laws drawn up by the U.S., which drafted the constitution article by article?...
"Perhaps the U.S., Europe, and Iran have a special agenda for the new Iraqi parliament, but as for the average man in the street, he knows in advance that this parliament – regardless of what motley political and religious groups it comprises – will not ultimately articulate their thirst for a [normal] life, such as millions of people [in the world enjoy], a life that has been denied [the Iraqi people] for over 30 years, during and after the Saddam Hussein regime...
"What distinguishes the 2010 elections from the previous elections in 2005 is the high percentage of Sunnis who cast their votes. Nevertheless, they understand from the start that no 'change' is going to specifically address their interests. The Shi'ites, who form the majority, will obviously elect one of their own as prime minister.
"As for the Iraqi president, [Iraqi President] Jalal Talabani said it openly – no one is going to touch his position, regardless of who wins the elections. It must be taken into consideration that Talabani is one of the only leaders of the autonomous Kurdish region who has in the past engaged in extremely violent and bloody conflicts with his enemies, until the overthrow of Saddam Hussein – which is when the Americans formed a [political] roster to suit their strategy and interests in regard to the Gulf and the Middle East in general..." [3]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), March 9, 2010.
[2] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), March 8, 2010.
[3] Al-Gumhouriyya (Egypt), March 9, 2010.
