Islam not compatible with democratic ideals

August 26, 2005

Spectrum\Larry Wood

My son served in Iraq, returning home last April. He did not go, nor did his comrades, to see the idea of liberty for the Iraqis circumvented through the artifice of a constitution based upon an absolutely intolerant religion. And I am certain this is an attitude shared by all of our troops,

This desire for meeting deadlines no matter the outcome is a fool's errand of the worst sort. Islam is anathema to the idea of a republic.

Even the people of Iraq cannot agree upon what is the correct interpretation of Islam: Sunni vs. Shiite vs. Sufi vs. Wahhabist, on and on. No peace can come from a government that bases its foundation on the tenets of a religion that is responsible for most of the world's conflicts. A religion that is absolutely intolerant of any other religion. A religion that recognizes only two "houses" - Islam and war. War meaning any other religion or secular state not Islamic.

Moreover, those drafting the Iraq constitution have already excluded Jews from potential Iraqi citizenship. What will happen to the Iraqi Christians under this new Islamic constitution? They will be slaughtered and driven out, as is already happening.

We set a shining goal, and our troops responded with their blood and sacrifice. Now, we have tarnished the ideal once again for political expediency.

The Iranian mullahs must be laughing themselves sick over this demonstration of weakness on the part of American "resolve" to see Iraq through to a legitimate republic with guaranteed rights for its citizens and a secular government that favors no single religion. Instead of resolve, a political compromise is substituted that falls far short of the reason most of us back the war in Iraq.

In allowing Islam to be a bulwark, sharia will be implemented. Under sharia, there are no rights for women, and only the mullahs are the law. Eventually, a strong man will arise, and democracy will once again be demonstrated a failure in the Arab Middle East. Islam demands a caliphate, not a democracy. The political expediency over the ideal has ensured liberty in Iraq will be fleeting at best.

Once again, our government has dropped the proverbial round short and now risks making the sacrifice of our loved ones a wasted effort to no good end.

If this stupidity of political expediency is not rejected, Iraq will be lost to the West and doomed to internal conflict between Sunni and Shiite, Kurd and Arab, Christian and Muslim, and women will be treated as chattel, if Islam is allowed to be the basis of the new constitution.

Larry Wood is a resident

of Palmer.