An observation
Reader comment on item: U.S. Needs To Learn Patience [in Iraq]

Submitted by Vern Rock (United States), Nov 30, 2004 at 18:35

My wife and I were missionaries among Muslims in Pakistan for thirty years, and for five year terms among the Muslim communities in NYC, Trinidad and Chicago. We appreciate your various commentaries regarding Muslims and the mid-east. Our life among Muslims has given us more than average insights into their Islamic cultures. Prior to the British and French decision regarding the division of the Ottoman empire after WW1, Iraq, as far as its present land area is concerned, was never an independent nation. In my opinion, Western nations seem to never make good divisions of nations, e.g., Pakistan and India out of the India of the British Raj. They made one border cut right through the Punjab, an ethnic unit.

My thought is that whatever America does to establish a democracy in Iraq they should be reminded that the Muslim sects, Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds, would not be predisposed to consider the other partners as equals in a democracy. My suggestion would be to divide Iraq into three nations. The Kurds already have an autonomous region. That would create some problems with Turkey, though not insurmountable, in my opinion. The Sunnis have a common border with Syria, with whom they share a religious affinity. The Shi'ites, would have some common border North of Basra with their fellow Shi'ite neighbors in Iran. Admittedly, there would be the difficulty of dividing the oil wealth with equity. However, that problem would be easier to solve, it seems to me, than having those three religious entities govern themselves in a triumvirate of democracy. Just a thought on extricating America from Iraq on a winning note.

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