A new achievement for political Islam in Iraq

The ruling political Islam in Iraq has added to its great record of “achievements” a new great “achievement” that might bring it great pride and joy for many years to come.

Before tackling this new accomplishment, let’s review this record first.

There is the sectarian war which has cooled down gradually since 2008 but that is still linked to hate speech propagated by radio and television stations, social media sites, religious books and magazines, speeches and lectures spewing out of mosques and Husayniyat.

There is also administrative and financial corruption which has not spared any part of the state and society and which has been carried out under the direct supervision and management of leaders of political Islam groups and their militias.

Ruling political Islam groups also overthrew the democratic system which the people have chosen during the constitutional referendum. They overthrew it by obstructing this constitution, replacing it with the nationalist and sectarian quota system, taking over state posts and functions, fostering nepotism of a few families, clans, parties and militias and turning the “independent commissions” into partisan dens.

The people’s will in all parliamentary and local elections was harmed by forging election results. This is in addition to legislating electoral laws, an electoral commission and parties that guarantee the confiscation of people’s will and freedoms and not allowing free, fair and impartial elections.

Inciting hatred

There is also inciting hatred and racism among Iraqi ethnicities, especially between Arabs and Kurds, in an uncommon way except during Saddam’s regime.

As for ISIS’ occupation of Iraq, it can only be compared to catastrophes during the Saddam reign, such as the Iran-Iraq war, the invasion of Kuwait, the second Gulf War, crushing the March 1991 uprising and the Anfal and Halabja events.

This long record of “achievements” is now capped by the Turkish occupation. The scattered military presence of Turkish units in various parts of the Kurdistan region is now developing into large and permanent military bases. Turkish Defense Minister Noureddine Ganikli announced on Tuesday that the Turkish army will permanently stay in the Kurdistan region.

According to Turkish media reports, he said: “Our operations within the region are different since for the first time the Turkish army is establishing military bases,” adding that the Turkish army “will remain permanently in the Kurdistan region.”

History has shown that Turkey did not occupy an area except to annex it into its own territories, and Sanjak of Alexandretta of Syria is one such example, and northern Cyprus is another.

This does not raise the slightest concern of the Islamist leaders, who are preoccupied with the struggle for power, dominance and money and with maintaining the state of tension in the political and social life because it is necessary to sustain their control over the country and continue their corruption.

The baffling question now is: What is the next “great” step one might expect from Iraqi political Islam?

This article is also available in Arabic.

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Adnan Hussein is the executive editor-in-chief of Al-Mada newspaper and head of the National Union of Iraqi journalists. Previously, he has held the position of Managing Editor in Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. He tweets under the handle @adnanhussein.