The Road to Democracy in Iraq Essay

When one thinks of Iraq war, the two key players are perceived to be George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. As leaders of the opposing sides, they are also perceived as the decision makers. In the individual and sub group levels of analysis, toppling of the Hussein’s regime in Iraq was a success. This success

Iraq and Iran have been subjected to a civil war since the seventh century (Murphy 1). This existing problem began because of political and theological divergence, but with the help of outside forces such as Britain, Russia, and North America, it developed into a more complex crisis.

At its current position, the Iraqi government is slightly more stable, but not good enough. Over the past few years, Iraq has approved a constitution, begun holding parliamentary and provincial elections, but groups are still competing to have the most control over Iraq’s central government. Iraq’s government is weak; during an interview with Kurdish Iraqi President Fuad Masum, has few to no answers

Iraq has been involved with civil unrest and war for decades. I believe that the physical, economical, political, social and psychological effects of this ongoing conflict have perpetuated a cycle of conflict through insurgency groups such as ISIS. The citizens of Iraq grew up in an era of conflict, I believe that as a result of this, they have been desensitized to war and conflict, and instead of a rare occurrence, they view it as a necessary means for survival, a way of life.

In 1969, my mother’s family fled Iraq for the United States in hopes of establishing a stable, opportunistic lifestyle. However, their refuge to the land of opportunity was not without adversity. Saddam Hussein’s rise to power was arguably the best and worst event that happened to the Chaldeans. Before Saddam, Iraq was led by nationalists who were not fond of Christians and their beliefs. However, Saddam’s prime minister, Tariq Aziz, was Chaldean and allowed Christians to practice their religion without feeling oppressed as a minority in a majority Muslim country. Still, the majority of their liberties were still restricted, and their obedience to Saddam and his Ba’ath Party regime was mandatory. In 1990, after ordering brutal chemical attacks

Back when the religion began and Muhammad had just died, the divide was over who the next caliph should be, but now, it is a struggle over political power. The different views between the different parts of Muslim communities was the start of the separation. The divide escalated from different viewpoints, to violence and extreme prejudice. “The Iraq conflict plays out on several levels between Sunnis and Shiites. First and foremost, it’s about how to share power in a 21st century state”(How the Sunni-Shia Conflict Frames the Current Crisis in Iraq). When the Shiites are in power over a country, the Sunnis are being discriminated and attacked. When the Sunnis are in power over a country, the Shiites are being victimized. “Maliki, a Shiite allied with Iran, became the country’s new leader. Rather than seeking peace between the two groups, critics say he oppressed the Sunnis both inside government and by squashing protests in the street”(How the Sunni-Shia Conflict Frames the Current Crisis in Iraq). Maliki did not try to ease the tensions, but instead, did the exact opposite. If the protesters were Shiites, they would not have been ‘squashed’. The tug-of-war between these two sects over who gains control in government has terminated the other branch of Islam. The political struggle between the Sunni and Shia has come to the point at which the two sects

Long time ago, the deep religious splits between Shi’ites and Sunnis as well as the racial separations between Arabs, Kurds, and other minorities such as Christians and Turkmens people shaped a growing level of violence between citizens in Iraq. The greatest threat to Iraqis has

Instead of fostering cooperation, efforts to bring Sunni and Shiite elites together have only rubbed at raw wounds, exacerbated tensions and accelerated the slide toward a regional confrontation. ISIS is now targeting Shiite pilgrims in Saudi Arabia in order to enflame that country and widen the religious war that is brewing across the region. Iran is sponsoring terror armies across the region and trying to turn Shiite Iraq into a satellite state. A brutalizing dynamic is now firmly in place: Sectarian tension radicalizes the leaderships on both the Sunni and Shiite sides.

Throughout history, many nations have undergone the laborious task of nation building. Whether it was the Egyptians during the ancient period or the Germans during the modern period, many nations that exist today are the result of nation building. However, Iraq has faced many obstacles that has averted its valiant efforts in nation building. Some of the main obstacles include the extension of ethnonational and sectarian borders beyond the nation state, U.S. intervention in Iraq and the presence of ISIS. In any event, the situation in Iraq is still unstable and must be looked at with close

Moreover, Moon argues that “[e]lections are lauded as symbolic of the arrival of democracy, but every democratic theorist agrees that there is far more to democracy that elections” (116). Removing Saddam Hussein and setting up elections, does not address the underlying systematic issues within the country. There are other Baathist leaders besides Hussein, and removing the dictator does not remove the Sunni versus Shia conflict within the region. Moon goes on to state that “[a]n Iraqi-headed government may embody sovereignty, but scholars of democracy are unanimous that the tricky part of maintaining the monopoly on the legitimate use of force lies not in creating instruments of power, but in constraining its illegitimate exercise. That requires

This short paper serves to relate various themes inclusive to cultural conflict in modern day Iraq between Sunni and Shiite Factions as well as the emerging threat of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). This analysis will show how ISIS is utilizing ongoing cultural strife between predominately Sunni (Western Iraq; Al-Anbar Province), Shiite (Eastern Iraq, and Kurdish (Northern Iraq; Mosul) to further destabilize certain regions and attempt to gain influence over segments of the population. Iraq 's borders, which were originally defined by British powers after World War I, have largely failed to account for the cultural differences in peoples between the country 's provinces. As ISIS becomes a more organized and prevalent force in the region, it can be argued that they are attempting to legitimize themselves as a culture with emerging borders in both Iraq and Syria. The legitimacy of ISIS as an emerging cultural group largely depends on their ability to influence the local population and gain support for their objectives. This paper will address how the existing Iraqi Central Government may be failing its obligation to protect the economic, social, and cultural rights of particular groups (namely in Kurdish and Sunni populated territories). Additionally, this paper will attempt to address several questions that may be indicators of whether ISIS has the ability to sustain itself over time. Firstly, is ISIS capitalizing on the centralized government 's perceived failures

Disagreement between Shias and Sunni have been the most important splits in Islamic religion, which are ongoing problems since the 7th century to present-day, conflict in Islamic history has initiated blood spills from generations to generations and is still taking life’s while differences in social and equal opportunities that have taken deep roots in the minds of future leaders.

The US is a good example for democracy in side USA but does not look like in Iraq. Where is the good?

In recent years, the Iraqi nation has endured a crisis that will forever remain in the hearts and minds of the Middle Eastern culture. However, the outcomes of the War on Iraq will not change the long-lasting and passionate traditions and memories that have been held in the country for decades. One major event that happened in Iraq’s history is that on October 3, 1932 Iraq was established as an independent nation. Iraq has always been a country in which respect and generosity have been highly valued and play an important cultural role in everyday life. Additionally, approximately ninety-five percent of Iraqis are Muslim, and therefore Islam is the official religion of this nation (Gutierrez 1). Furthermore, Iraq is a

Over the last century, the Middle East has been the location of ethnic rivalry, political and economic instability, religious conflict, territorial dispute and war. Much of this tension in the Middle East comes from the various interpretations of Islam and how the religion should be applied to politics and society. Over the last ten years, the United States and their allies have pushed to promote democracy in the Middle East. However, they too have many obstacles they must overcome. They face problems such as the compatibility of Islamic law and democracy, the issue of women’s rights, and there is always the problem of how to go about implementing a democratic reform in these countries. Many initially would assume that it is only the