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From the The Age, with thanks to Lee.
KURDISH politicians negotiating a draft constitution have criticised the US ambassador to Iraq for allegedly pushing them to accept too great a role for Islamic law in the US drive to complete the charter on time.Although a Sunni delegate made similar charges, US officials declined to comment publicly while they worked with politicians as today's deadline loomed.
US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad spent Saturday shuttling between Iraqi political leaders, members of Iraq's constitutional committee said.
Delegates said distribution of oil revenue dominated the talks but no agreement was reached. Shiite Arab, Kurdish and Sunni Muslim factions differ on how much revenue should be controlled by a federal Iraqi government and how it should be divided. But the question of Islamic law drew strong public protests from Kurds.
The current working draft of the constitution stipulates that no law can contradict Islamic principles. In talks with Shiite religious parties, Kurdish negotiators said they had pressed unsuccessfully to limit the definition of Islamic law to agreed-upon religious principles.
The Kurds said current language in the constitutional draft would subject Iraqis to extreme interpretations.
Kurds also contend provisions in the draft would allow Islamic clerics to serve on the high court that would interpret the constitution. That would potentially subject marriage, divorce, inheritance and other civil matters to religious law, and could harm women's rights in particular, Kurdish negotiators and some women's groups said.
Mr Khalilzad had specifically supported those provisions, urging other groups to accept them, according to Kurds involved in the talks.
"Really, we are disappointed with that. It seems like the Americans want to have a constitution at any cost," said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish member of the constitutional committee.
"These things are not good — giving the constitution an Islamic face. It is not good to have a constitution that would limit the liberties of people, the human rights, the freedoms," Mr Othman said.
Other delegates to the constitutional talks also complained about pressure from Mr Khalilzad. Salih Mutlak, a Sunni delegate who has been outspoken against some compromise proposals, said: "His main interest is to push the constitution on time. No matter what the constitution has in it...
Posted by Rebecca at August 22, 2005 7:34 PM
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I am deeply saddened by this, I feel greatly betrayed by George Bush, I believe Khalilzad is a dangerous man, I am worried for women and Christians and other minorities in Iraq.
Posted by: Founding Forefather![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 22, 2005 8:07 PM
Well, dhimmi Bush made a real mess of it. Islamic law about to become state law in Iraq, so a second Islamic Republic a la Iran is being born. To replace the one evil (Saddam) for another (Islamic law)... should we feel more safe now?
Posted by: Nordthiad at August 22, 2005 8:09 PM
Time for the Kurds to sit tight. Soon they can go home and bide their time,wait for the right moment(when the US leaves), fight the Iraqis and win, then establish their own soverign nation of Kurdistan
Posted by: the poetess at August 22, 2005 8:18 PM
It doesn't really matter what the Iraqi Constitution says now, b/c it can be amended in the future.
The Shiites will eventually get their Islamic wishes incorporated into the so-called Iraqi democracy.
Egypt is having elections next year; guess what their new government will look like?
Islam trumps democracy.
Islam trumps freedom.
Islam trumps women's rights.
Islam trumps freedom of religion.
When will the West learn?
Posted by: Farouk at August 22, 2005 8:40 PM
It is an understatement to say that ratification of a Constitution that dictates Islamic interpretation would be a huge and disappointing step backwards for Iraq, the region, and the world.
I apologize for my pessimism. This U.S. administration seems isolated, out of touch, and judging from the comments of some in the negotiations, hell-bent on production of some document - any document - as if the timeline or time-table trumps all.
I find myself wondering what these people inside the beltway - and I include congress - are thinking.
I also sadly find myself fighting off the serious risk of personal prejudice and bigotry towards muslims as a whole, thinking at this point that they are collectively incapable of sustained rational, objective or compassionate thought.
The entire situation is sickening to me. So many fine US and UK soldiers lost and innocent bystanders world-wide murdered.
And at this point, for what?
Posted by: NVRambo at August 22, 2005 9:37 PM
When will Islam learn?
Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."Rev 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
at August 22, 2005 9:37 PM
to NVRambo:
Unfortunately, as it appears, all the sacrifice has been for nothing. I apologize for being unable to offer a heartening opinion — I'm just as pessimistic as you are.
What is happening today in Iraq is simply a vivid demonstration of the Islamic democracy. The true aspirations of all Muslims worldwide (with VERY few exceptions) are what's been presribed in their Holy Scriptures: to make Allah the lord of the entire world. That has to be accompanied by the institution of the Shari'a laws(which would — ha-ha — presumably eliminate vice), the subjugation of non-Muslims that has to be in place in order to force them to convert, and ultimately the establishment of the Caliphate which can sanction OFFENSIVE jihad fee sabeel Allah to spread the word of Islam across the infidel lands, as set by the example of the 'righteous' Prophet.
-----------------------------
dolphin, CAGE co-founder.
http://www.acage.org
at August 22, 2005 9:50 PM
Khalilzad This is the same guy who helped with the Afghani constution and is now trying to do the same in Iraq??
I hope the Suni and Kurds stand their ground and don't get push into another form of slavory??
They now have the power to say no their men are fighting and dieing for freedom against these monsters don't let the monsters win??
Think about what shria law says
NO PAINTINGS OF PEOPLE
NO PETS LIKE DOGS OR CATS
NO DANCEING
NO DRINKING
NO MUSIC
NO LAUGHING
NO FARTING
NO YAWNING
THINGS THAT ARE OKAY
KILLING
LIEING
RAPING
STEALING
Oh what a world of Horror to live in??
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
GOD BLESS THE USA AND HER FIGHTING FORCES AND ALL WHO FIGHT WITH HER GIVE THEM STRENGTH, WISDOM, SIGHT, AND COURAGE TO STAY THE COURSE TO VICTORY[FREEDOM] TO DESTROY ALL ISLAMIC TERRORIST AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM OPEN THE WORLDS EYES TO THEIR THREAT LET NOT THE WORLD BE FOOLED BY THEM GIVE THE WORLD COURAGE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT THIS EVIL AMEN
at August 22, 2005 10:05 PM
dolphin, CAGE co-founder.
http://www.acage.org
Posted by: dolphin at August 22, 2005 09:50 PM
GREAT SIGHT!!
3 Gold Stars for you!!!
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
GOD BLESS THE USA AND HER FIGHTING FORCES AND ALL WHO FIGHT WITH HER GIVE THEM STRENGTH, WISDOM, SIGHT, AND COURAGE TO STAY THE COURSE TO VICTORY [FREEDOM] TO DESTROY ALL ISLAMIC TERRORIST AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM AMEN
at August 22, 2005 10:41 PM
This Zalmay Khalilzad is a disaster.
Without a federal non Sharia state the new Iraq is a disaster for the West. Welcome to the roots of the next World War.
Condoleeza Rice has become the Neville Chamberlaine of this era.
God bless America. She's going to need all the help she can get and we can give her.
Ya gotta wonder at the stupidity and ignorance
Posted by: dgene at August 22, 2005 11:01 PM
"Inside 9/11" a two part documentary(2 hours each) playing right now on the National Geographic channel.
The horrible screams of the victims,the people jumping from the towers...this is why we fight.
at August 22, 2005 11:41 PM
And now we'll soon be treated to the sickening spectacle of top administration officials defending sharia law as fully compatible with democracy and human rights, and anyone who doesn't agree will be labelled a bigot or Islamophobe. "Iraq the model" is now officially a failure, though even at this point the war is a net-win for the West if we define our goals realistically and accept the fact that the removal of a dangerous regime and its replacement with a much weakened rump state is about the best that can be hoped for from any intervention in the Arab/Muslim world.
But Bush seems determined to keep pouring money and blood into this doomed venture, partly because he and his advisers insist that the old Cold War playbook will work just as well in Mesopotamia as it did in Poland, but mostly because he is fundamentally a foolish and stubborn man who cannot admit to making a mistake and so will hide his errors either by throwing more resources at them (even a raging fire will be put out if you smother it with enough stacks of $100 bills) or bald-facely invent new rationales to make his failures seem like successes ("Iraq is a terrorist magnet- just as we intended, because it's better for us to fight them over there than here") or even more brazenly tell you that bad outcomes are really good outcomes in disguise, and, o, what a pity you cannot see as many steps ahead as he and the Machiavellian geniuses who serve him...
This constitution should be enough for anyone who is not a complete psychophant to see that this adminstration is grossly incompotent and needs to be reined in before it can do further damage. If Clinton was our "first black president" then Bush must be our first Arab one, because not even a Naser or a Faisal could so brazenly spin victory out of defeat.
Posted by: emperor_diocletian at August 23, 2005 12:14 AM
emperor diocletian-
"then Bush must be our first Arab... president..."
LOL.
Thanks!
In this dismal news cycle, I needed that.
Posted by: BigSleep at August 23, 2005 3:31 AM
I have only a limited amount of sympathy for the Kurds as they play a part in the constitutional process. They certainly have an excellent argument for not just autonomy within Iraq, but as a nation separate from Iraq, Iran or Turkey. Whether that will ever happen, I do not know. Their claims to statehood are more valid than that of the Palestinians. However, they have run roughshod over their Christian Assyrian neighbors for a long time and continue to do so. Since the US has provided them with protection in the past 15 years, they have illegally seized Assyrian lands, killed Assyrians opposed to them and, more recently, prevented large numbers of Assyrians from voting in the first Iraqi election. They may be pushing for a more secular version of government in Baghdad, but they have more than enough fundamentalists within their local communities to terrorize their Christian neighbors.
Posted by: maryrose at August 23, 2005 5:58 AM
If this is true, this is a great shame for US. I wasn´t agree with the iraqui war for this islamic constitution
Posted by: Franze at August 23, 2005 2:51 PM
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