Middle East Focus: Why Sectarian Democracy Trumps Bombs, Our Baggage on Distant Shores…….

Arabia Deserta

Why Sectarian Democracy Trumps Bombs, Our Baggage on Distant Shores…….

“Yes, the Iraqis are a brave people. How many Brits would go to the polls under mortar fire? Or Americans, for that matter? It's not that Muslims don't want freedom or democracy. It's that "democracy" doesn't seem to work when their countries are occupied by Western troops. It didn't work in Afghanistan. The withdrawal of American "combat" troops from Iraq doesn't mean that US forces won't remain in great strength. And as long as the Mubaraks and the King Abdullahs (both of them) have our uncritical political support, their nations will make no real progress towards freedom. Thus yesterday's election day in Iraq does not represent further proof of the values of our Western democracies. It does mean that a courageous people still believes that the system under which it is voting will honour its wishes. As so often in the past, however, the election is more likely – under our benevolent eye – to enshrine the very sectarianism which Saddam once used so ruthlessly to enslave his people....…….”

Robert Fisk, opining on Iraqi elections and other Arab non-elections.
He, like other Western observers, seems amazed that Iraqis are braving bombs and mortars to go out and vote. He is right that people in the UK or the USA would not go out to vote under similar threats. What Fisk and other Westerners do not understand is that it is the very same sectarianism he complains about that is pushing people to risk death in order to vote. A Shi’s or a Sunni, or a Kurd would not want to sit at home and allow the “opposition” candidate to get an extra margin of one vote. That is probably the main reason for the relatively high turnout, in spite of the risks.
Fisk was not raised in the sectarian and confessional atmosphere of the Middle East; especially Lebanon, Iraq, and the Persian-American Gulf, so he may not understand what we have known since birth. You can call it our baggage, the baggage some of us try to escape from on cold foreign shores. Not always with success as you can see from my writings.
Cheers
mhg

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