Dr Shamlan
In the past few weeks, the Emir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah called for an end to the sectarian tensions which have become an entity that has plagued our nation and its strengths, in his speech at the Islamic Foreign Ministers’ Conference. Sectarian strife is the most dangerous phenomena threatening the existence of our nation.
The French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, pointed out how the situation in Syria and Iraq is approaching a stage that will split these countries, in the sense that the Islamic State (IS) is fuelling the Syrian and Iraqi regimes, leading to sectarian strife.
The Kuwaiti Emir and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and France asked the countries of the international coalition to review their military strategy because of the expansion of IS, and they called on the Iraqi government to commit to a programme of national reconciliation and for rebuilding a new national Iraq that has a government policy that does not distinguish between Sunnis and Shias.
The question here is will Iraq be able to practically and effectively achieve the interest of the GCC and European leadership with regard to adopting a national non-sectarian policy? Will this call find place in the current Iraqi policy for the sake of stabilising the country and ensuring its security, stability and economic prosperity needed by the Iraqi people?
Away from the unexpected wishes, the danger that Iraq is facing today lies in the unessential loyalties, which has turned this country into a fragmented and non-uniform society. The Sunnis are loyal to the Arab Muslim nations, while the Arab Shias are divided. Some want to stick to the unity of Iraq and its Arab identity. Others are loyal to their special ideology.
The Kurds, on the other hand, think basically about leadership for the sake of gaining the independence of Kurdistan to make it a national homeland for Kurdish people in the region, despite the fact that the president of Iraq is one of them!
The failure and corruption of the Iraqi politicians within the framework of the current situation creates the other face for the rise of the sectarian elite who do not hesitate to form armies as an alternative to the United
Iraqi army.
The Peshmerga force represents the Kurds. The “popular crowd” and People’s Mobilisation (Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi) forces represent Shias.
There is also a plan to form a National Guard and tribal forces with US support. Each of these multiple armies has its own social ideology, trying to defend the groups they represent against the remaining people of Iraq, who are actually their compatriots.
These multiple armies and militias in Iraq do not defend the Iraqi state or nation, but are committed to the directives of sectarian religious leaders, and to the tribal and ethnic sources.
We see the United States of America, despite its claim to seek to protect Iraq and its unity, turns a blind eye on Iranian interference through the People’s Mobilisation militias.
Perhaps Washington has been working, in earnest, to tear Iraq apart for clear goals, like securing Israel and its own supremacy in the region. For the sake of these goals, the US is tearing apart the Arab countries into sects, tribes and nationalities to fight
each other.
There is no unity for Iraq as long as this sectarian government, its corrupt deputies and parties do not work or call for the unity of the country, but rather take advantage of the current situation to achieve their own interests, even if it was at the expense of Iraq and its people.
Iraq will not be saved unless there is a strong military establishment headed by fair leadership that is totally concerned about protecting Iraq and its people before it is too late.
The international community cannot impose unity on the Iraqi people as long as the government and politicians are the beneficiaries of this sectarian status quo.
The writer is a researcher and political analyst.
