So much for Democracy, Hello Theocracy

Yesterday we pointed you to a post by pessimist over at The Left Coaster and a post by yours truly at Running Scared on what was likely to happen in Iraq. Both used the words of Robert Burns as an introduction.

The best laid plans of mice and men,
go oft awry,
And leave us nought but grief and pain,
for promised joy.

Of course when the plans are not the best laid to begin with the grief and pain are only multiplied. Well, that's where we are at in Iraq. Before the ink was even dry on their fingers the Leading Shiite Clerics [were] Pushing Islamic Constitution in Iraq.


Iraqis marched with photos of the Shiite clerics Ali al-Sistani, left and right, and Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim.

[N]AJAF, Iraq, Feb. 4 - With religious Shiite parties poised to take power in the new constitutional assembly, leading Shiite clerics are pushing for Islam to be recognized as the guiding principle of the new constitution.

Exactly how Islamic to make the document is the subject of debate.

At the very least, the clerics say, the constitution should ensure that legal measures overseeing personal matters like marriage, divorce and family inheritance fall under Shariah, or Koranic law. For example, daughters would receive half the inheritances of sons under that law.

On other issues, opinion varies, with the more conservative leaders insisting that Shariah be the foundation for all legislation.

Such a constitution would be a sharp departure from the transitional law that the Americans enacted before appointing the interim Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. American officials pressed Iraqi politicians drafting that law in early 2004 to guarantee equal rights for women and minorities. The Americans also persuaded the authors to designate Islam as just "a source" of legislation.

That irked senior Shiite clerics here, who, confident they now have a popular mandate from the elections, are advocating for Islam to be acknowledged as the underpinning of the government. They also insist that the Americans stay away from the writing of the new constitution.

Of course this was predictable but the administration was only listening to those who told them what they wanted to hear like the Iranian spy Chalabi. Although they talk "freedom" and "Democracy" they fail to realize that these are inconsistent with western economic and cultural imperialism. When the people of Iraq and yes, Venezuela have the opportunity to vote for what they want we soon discover it's not what we want. Our concept of "freedom" is not their concept of "freedom". Their concept of freedom is the freedom from the very economic and cultural imperialism that the US is trying to push. So in the end all we can say is "Here's Another Fine Mess You've Gotten us into"