Protests In Iraq: Secularization! No Shia, No Sunni

I have been following the protests in Iraq since 12 days ago, and I wish no third party would interfere in a people’s will for change. These politics of interference are reminiscent of those in Syria, and sadly, non-interference still seems to be too much to wish for in the Middle East.

The protests started in the city of Basra in the southern part of Iraq over the shortage of water and electricity cuts. During this uprising, people eventually demanded the fall of the Iraqi regime.

While people in Iraq suffer from a lack of public services despite the country having abundant resources, the parliamentarian candidates were engaged in re-counting the votes and fighting over securing a chair for themselves in parliament. Witnessing this behaviour from those who claim to be representing the people in a so-called “democratic system” only raised the protesters’ anger.

The Iraqi government has been in the hands of the sectarian Dawa party since the Ba’ath party was overthrown by US military intervention. In the eyes of Iraqi protesters, the Iraqi regime is being manipulated by the Iranian government, which is why they burn pictures of the Iranian leader Khomeini.

It appears that disproving this common belief is not of importance to the Iranian regime, given the fact that it sent 1600 troops to Iraq to control the demonstration. After fourteen years of a sectarian regime in Iraq, people are now asking for the secularization of the Iraqi state. If Iraqi protesters reach their goal, we may see the true beginning of spring in the Middle East.