Mr. al-Maleki! Don’t follow al-Assad

For the first time after peaceful demonstrations of Sunni masses and few Shiite sides in Iraq, the Iraqi army opened fire on a group of protesters on the day of “Friday of No Return” in Fallujah city.

At least seven protestors lost their lives in shooting incident. It can be counted a warning alarm for the Iraqi arrogant rulers if they do not take the matter seriously.

The statement of Mr. Noori Al-Maleki corroborates the fear that he is not serious to handle the crisis. He, like most of tyrants, sees middling hands of ‘regional powers’, ‘reliquiaes of Saddam Hussein regime’, and Al-Qaeda in the ongoing reformative movement. No doubt, such statements and stances can not help solution efforts; rather it only adds fuel on the fire.  

It was not out of expectation that one day Iraqi people would take to streets for demanding their due rights. The Shiite-led government of Mr. Noori Al-Maleki has been failed to represent various classes and sects of Iraq. Most of ministers, vice-ministers and even lower officers belong to Al-Maleki’s party or his allies.

However, the recent wave of protests in Sunni-populated provinces broke out after suspicious detention of some officials of the Finance Ministry who belonged to the Iraqi oppressed Sunni community. Protesters demand reformation of few articles of the Iraqi constitution which are discriminative. In fact, some Iraqi officials have been misusing those articles to marginalize their political and religious rivals as much as possible.

In after clap of the recent protests, the Iraqi officials announced release of some prisoners from Iraqi jails. They admitted most of the freed prisoners were detained illegally; some had sustained the punishment but remained in jail for years yet! Some female detainees had held because their ‘criminal’ men relatives were out of the security agencies’ control! Of course it can not be called an ‘achievement’ for the Al-Maleki at all; this response of the Iraqi government shows there are hundreds of prisoners have been kept in custody illegally; the worse point is that they are Sunnis.

It is a simple question from Mr. Maleki and his supporters, is it a crime to ask for justices? Is it a wrong step to demand due rights by peaceful demonstrations? Why Iraqi army shoot masses; have they forgotten that their job was protection of people not their demolition! If the Shiite-run administration successes to make protesters silent for some time; the movement can not be perished until all Iraqi masses get their rights and due respect in their homeland.

“Justice” is the only remedy; Iraq can get out of the current crisis only by providing justice to every Iraqi, regardless his religion, sect and race. The Iranian Sunni community has a golden experience; their spiritual leader, Shaikh Abdol-Hameed Ismaeelzahi, has called on the Iraqi administration to overcome the matter by establishing a non-religious and non-ethnic government. The reformation process should be begun as soon as possible. All departments and entities need full reformation. Both Shia and Sunni, Arabs and non-Arabs should have equal shares in all departments, ministries and offices. This is the only way to save Iraq. If Noori Al-Maleki is a clever man, he will not follow false steps of Basher Al-Assad to destroy his country by his own hands. Al-Assad has reached to a no-return point that only demolishes his country more than everyday.  

SunniOnline.us