Sharia- Legislating Iraq back to the 14th Century?

Submitted by William Wolfson (United States), Mar 7, 2004 at 21:04

I am beginning to think it is a mistake to allow Sharia to become a basis for the interim enabling laws for the Transitional Authority. My semi humorous,semi drastic solution is to disenfranchise the entire male population and prohibit them from holding office.Perhaps only the women of Iraq should vote and sit in a national assembly. They could do no worse.

Seriously, the religious factions have seized upon the overthrow of Sadaam Hussein to attempt to eliminate any hope for a secular Iraqi state. This could be a very progressive Arab/Kurdish nation. Where is the Iraqi Attaturk with the prestige to insist on a secular progressive Iraq? We are missing a vital point. Our greatest potential ally in the Arab world are the women. I do not understand why Bush is not heediing this important issue.

Just as MacArthur had to discredit the Japanese military and the Zaibatsu in 1946,the US , having discredited the Ba'athist party, has now a vacuum to fill by promoting an Iraq as a leader of Arab progressivism.

I look forward to reading Daniel Pipes every week.

Thanks for lending me this soapbox.

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