Foreign Policy

Islam : Has Bush Underestimated Muslim Violence In Iraq

February 24, 2006 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

W hen President Bush brought his war on terror to Iraq it resulted in one of two perceived outcomes. To some, the war in Iraq stirred up a sleeping hornets nest and created a hostile environment where one did not exist previously. However, others perceived the war on terror in Iraq to be similar to walking into a cockroach filled apartment and turning on the lights, we just caused the scamper of the roaches that was inevitably going to happen. Irregardless of which outcome you choose to perceive, the reality is that the war we have been trying to control for so long is now raging out of control and contrary to what many conservatives are saying, the war is on the brink of becoming a massive civil war.

The recent bombing of one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites in Iraq has resounded throughout the country as an apparent wakeup call to any radical, or radical leaning moderate, Muslim across the Islamic world. It is obvious that the actions, and reactions, are an attempt to drive a wedge between Islams’ two major Muslim sects, neither side of this civil dispute is arguing that fact. However, recognizing the situation does not help resolve the growing problem it is becoming and neither side of the civil conflict appears to want to reconcile.

In Iraq we have taken an uneducated majority and put them in charge of the ranking minority and we thought there would be no problem, who made this ingenious decision? Talk about lack of foresight. Did anyone in the Sherwood Forest north of the tree lines have a good opinion of Robin Hood? Then why would they appreciate our Robin Hoods’ actions in regards to the taking of power from the Sunnis and redistributing it to the Shiites? Why did we think we could rob from the rich (Sunnis) and give to the poor (Shiites) and it would be all the better, did we really think the Sunni’s would just lay down their arms and submit to the culture shock of the immediate class change? And in direct line with this thought is the dismay displayed by Sunni Arab leaders who are still upset that the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and consequent empowerment of the majority Shia through elections, they despise the fact that the last three years have altered the regional balance of power. Of course they would rather have civil war than have to live in equality; they have been in charge for so long it will be hard to change their mentality. I don’t think its right but I believe it is the truth of the situation in Iraq.

Sunnis in other countries are also joining in on the violence because they have seen that with the liberation of Iraq and now the Shia populations in other Sunni-dominated Gulf areas have become more aggressive in challenging their oppressed rights. Saudi Arabia is afraid because their Sunni minority rules a very large Shia majority, they are afraid that they may soon have the same problems in their country as we are now seeing in Iraq.

Has President Bush underestimated the task it would be to bring Iraq into modern democracy? How much of the burden will America have to bear for these people?

President Bush And The Situation In Iraq

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