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What the U.S. needs to do in Iraq

Ghazal Omid - 8/20/2007

On Aug. 9, 2007, President Bush addressed journalists at the White House regarding Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki's mission to deliver a message to Iran. On Aug. 8, Maliki arrived in Tehran from Ankara, Turkey, purportedly to deliver the U.S. president's press conference message.

When I saw a photo on the Iranian state website IRIB of Maliki meeting the Iranian supreme leader, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, my impression of the Iraqi prime minister was that he looked like a nervous and obedient schoolboy brought before a principal notorious for punishing bad little girls and boys.

It is a far different picture than the one President Bush portrayed in his press conference about Malaki and his leadership. Even though proper demeanor is a big asset in that part of the world, it is not just about Malaki's demeanor. It is about his leadership or lack thereof.

The U.S. government went to great lengths to remove a brutal, murderous dictator. Saddam Hussein was almost universally recognized as a very bad man. However, one issue that seems to be forgotten here is: Freedom is earned, not given. The Iraqi people seem to be free to protest. Shiites are allowed to conduct their religious ceremonies, but in many respects their lives have grown worse in the last few years than they were during Saddam's reign.

Why? Because the people of Iraq had absolutely no idea what freedom was. For decades, they lived like butterflies under a glass jar, longing to breathe the fresh air of democracy but with no idea how to get out of the jar. It is almost as if you gave a Harvard scholarship to an Iraqi village boy, who, despite longing to go to school, never made it past second grade.

What the U.S. government doesn't seem to get is that America, with few exceptions, is a place unlike any other in the world. People in America can pay to take a trip into space! There is research on moisture on Mars! Whereas, in most of the world, people are just looking for a way to make ends meet and put food on the table.

I understand human desire and goodhearted individuals' wishes to extend what they have to others, but your gift is not working for people who don't know and appreciate its value. It is rather like a man giving his fiancée a washing machine as an engagement gift. Although she might need it desperately, it is not necessarily a gift she will appreciate.

I don't know how to say this more politely. American politicians need to rethink their ways of bringing democracy to Third World countries, because they are not working.

My American mentor sometimes admonishes me, "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Therefore, let me say that I completely understand that criticism without offering solutions is just criticism. I want the readers to keep in mind that I am offering observations of why, in my opinion, the Iraqi postwar situation has not evolved as expected in most circles. I do not have a solution for every problem, but I do have some ideas that I believe are worth pursuing.

With the demise of Saddam Hussein, who ruled the Iraqis as if they were his slaves, chaos was to be expected and could have been avoided. It is not wise for a U.S. politician who knows very little about the history, anthropology, religion, sociology and geography of a region to assume chaos is an unavoidable part of a young democracy. Chaos becomes a Miscellaneous Basket into which you drop everything you cannot explain. A young democracy is much like a school full of bright kids who get to school early and, instead of studying, bully one another and start a pencil fight. That school needs a tough but kindhearted principal to get the pupils to focus and use their energy for building rather than destroying. The evolving government in Iraq does not fill the bill.

The United States of America doesn't need a huge embassy in Iraq to send a message that the United States was the HERO who bestowed freedom in Iraq. It makes the U.S. look like it is using Iraq for a plantation. The intent may be to use it in the future to help Iraqis, but right now the Iraqi people have no electricity in their neighborhoods and homes most of the time, no safe drinking water, and 9,000 are being killed monthly. Did anyone consult the Iraqis to ask if they approve such a massive U.S. project on their soil? If the rationale is to create a safe haven from which to stay and fight, it will backfire. If the purpose is to make friends by employing local workers, it still looks like a plantation project.

You need to show that you care about the Iraqi children. Iraqis, many of whom lost virtually everything in the removal of Saddam, envy the American good life that they can only glimpse on television. Despite U.S. good intentions, while Iraqis all know about the huge embassy under construction, they may not be aware of hospitals and schools that have not impacted their section of this huge city. They resent not having safe drinking water and electricity in 120 degree summer heat, and they long for quiet afternoons when the screams of happy children in nearby parks and playgrounds will replace the screams of car bomb victims. This is how Iraqis measure progress in bringing peace to their country.

America cannot possibly think that every culture wants freedom on the American plan. Nor can Americans understand Middle East issues until they live there for an extended period of time. To design a democracy, one must consider the anthropology, psychology, religion and sacred treasures of the people of a region. And, just as importantly, the unity of a country. Stop inducing negative, unsettling feelings by talking about dividing the country along religious or cultural demographics. Such a proposal renders the effort and sacrifices of American men and women in removing Saddam to save a country pointless and in vain.

I speak as a Persian who has seen and experienced a bit of grit in her life, having survived the eight-year Iran/Iraq war at ground level. I am asking you to reconsider some of your steps. The cloud of secret intentions about Iraq and Iran is not helping the United States bring peace and security to the volatile Middle East. Certainly, it is no guarantee against violent attacks on U.S. troops on or the American homeland, which worries and distresses me because I have learned that Americans have hearts of gold. They do not deserve animosity for which they do not even know the reason.

Trust is a larger-than-life word in the lives of Middle Eastern people. U.S. actions and inaction at the beginning of the war in Iraq created the wrong foundation for TRUST, which Iraqi friends tell me is no longer there. If they trust you, they will hand you their hearts and lives. Trust must be regained by positive works, not by orders.

The beginning matters. Today's prolonged war is the result of untreated chaos. The first mistake was allowing looting by vengeful Iraqi opportunists successfully testing the enforcement threshold of U.S. soldiers. The second mistake was not watching over and protecting the Iraqi heritage and museums, and instead concentrating so dramatically on the oil industry. I understand that the oil infrastructure and production are critical and immensely important, but the oil is going to be there, while the treasures of history are irreplaceable in the eyes of the people. The third mistake was in making a celebrity of a young, unknown mullah, affording him legitimacy as a leader. Al-Sadir was a nobody. Guess where he is now — in the lap of the Iranian regime.

If someone asked me what the United States needs to do to win the Iraqi conflict, here are a few things that might work. I say might work, because Persian heritage allows us to pick pages of history that, even though not entirely the same, have similar circumstances. No matter what language we speak in the Middle East, similarities in language, culture and religion and the history of that region can teach valuable lessons so that we don't have to learn by making old mistakes.

The United States needs a NEW BEGINNING with the IRAQI PEOPLE.

There is no question that the United States wants out of Iraq and that Iraqis want them out. What is needed is a public referendum on whether Iraqis want the U.S. to stay under what circumstances, or leave immediately. Do they want a different leader? Do they want one nation or a partitioned Iraq? Do they approve of Iranians, Saudis and Syrians interfering in their lives? Do they want a secular government, a religious government or a government comprised of men and women with religion in their hearts, but not in the laws, working for the welfare of Iraq and Iraqi children? The questions must be asked of Iraqis; what do they want? Do they want Nouri al-Maliki or someone else? If someone else, WHO?

Looking at the Iraqi parliament made me scratch my head and ponder its similarity to that of Iran. No wonder Khamenei is so pleased with Iraq.

If the Iraqi citizens ask for U.S. help, the U.S. must work with a much stronger, more charismatic leader for Iraq; not a dictator but one who says what he does and does what he says. He must be gutsy, honest and persevering with a strong presence. As a half-Kurd raised in more than one culture, I understand the frustration of different ethnicities in Iraq. I believe, ideally, the leader of Iraq should be a multi-ethnic who appreciates his heritage. That would afford no excuse for anyone in Iraq from any religion to question his sincerity and commitment to Iraq.

Unquestionably, he should be Muslim but a secular one, not just someone who wears a tie and kisses the hand of a mullah. He should practice his religion for himself but make sure religion is not brought into parliament. As a Shiite Muslim scholar, I believe one of the United States' worst mistakes was to allow Shiite mullahs and Sunni sheiks into Iraqi politics. I believe the majority of the people in Iraq want their religion in their heart, not in their parliament. Religion plus Money plus Power is a dangerous mix and a recipe for disaster.

My honest opinion, as a Muslim scholar, is that mullahs and sheiks should not be allowed to practice politics. Politics sometimes requires one to lie, perhaps to save a life. If I am the imam of Friday prayers, I have no business sitting on the bench of any parliament. The excuse these mullahs and sheiks offer for wanting and deserving power is that Prophet Mohammed (peace upon him) was in politics. So, was he wrong or it is OK for us to be there too? My answer to them is: Prophet Mohammed (peace upon him) received his orders from God via Angel Gabriel and was able to perform miracles. He had an insight none of us has.

Most non-Muslims are not aware that mullahs are generally not salaried. They depend on the generosity of people in employing them to perform religious rites. Few honest mullahs can afford to abandon their profession and enter politics. A man of God should not allow his words to be twisted or put himself in a position where his vote can possibly be influenced by the need for money. I suggest the people of Iraq take a look at the lifestyle of those mullahs in politics. If they happen to have a much better lifestyle since entering politics, then you should suspect they are not working strictly for God or to make your life better. The United States needs to understand that a mullah or sheik is expected to live a minimal lifestyle. Everything they own is supposed to be at the public's will. In order for the people of Iraq to know who is honest and who is not, they should have a complete accounting of who in government owns what.

The U.S. government also needs to show the Iraqis that they care about their heritage and the way Iraqis value their lives and history. The Iraqis should create a board of advisers to explain Iraqi perspectives and problems, introduce them to the people and show that these people are near the U.S. president and government. Such a board will recognize concerns that otherwise might be missed by the United States, not because they were negligent but because they didn't know.

It is OK not to know a thing. I doubt I could ever learn to be a convincing baseball or American football fan. I seldom watch these games, and it is highly unlikely I will ever play them. Still, I appreciate the efforts of Americans who have tried to teach me the rules and instill an appreciation for the skill and intricacies of the games.

We need to show that we cherish each culture's decency, respect our differences and work on commonalities with our friends and allies and those who want to help. And then a democratic Iraq and a just peace should be something we can hope for as fellow human beings to achieve.