Sectarian violence to blame as democracy fails in Iraq
Saturday, 21 November 2009 15:53
The Bertelsmann Foundation yesterday released a report identifying Iraq, along with Chad, Somalia and Sudan, as being one of the world’s ‘failed states’.
Sectarian violence has brought the country to the edge of full-scale civil war. The report states “In countries like Iraq, strong ethnic, religious or regional identities undermine state identity and thus tear at the fabric of an already precarious stateness.”
The collapse of democracy which has ensued within Iraq, explains the lack of credibility the present Iraqi government has internationally which is also highlighted in the report’s findings.
Ayad Jalmal Aldin, leader of the Ahrar party, has always campaigned for secularism and unity, regardless of religion. He believes Ahrar’s policies are the only hope Iraq has for a stable future. “The findings are clear within the report. For Iraq to have any chance of a stable future then we must unite and eliminate the sectarian violence that is destroying our country. Ahrar is a party for the people of Iraq.”
For further information, contact:
Ahrar Media Bureau
Tel: +964 (0)790 157 4478 / +964 (0)790 157 4479 / +964 (0)771 275 2942
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About Ayad Jamal Aldin:
Ayad Jamal Aldin is a Shia cleric, best known for his consistent campaigning for a new, secular Iraq. He first rose to prominence at the Nasiriyah conference in March 2003, shortly before the fall of Saddam, where he called for a state free of religion, the turban and other theological symbols. In 2005, he was elected as one of the 25 MPs on the Iraqi National List, but withdrew in 2009 after becoming disenchanted with Iyad Allawi's overtures to Iran. He wants complete independence from Iranian interference in Iraq. He now leads the Ahrar party for the 2010 election to the Council of Representatives, to clean up corruption and create a strong, secure and liberated Iraq for the future.