Islam in Iraq's Public life

Conclusion: Until that day, Islam adds to the divisions in Iraqi public life. Those divisions make it impossible for the government to rule by consensus - instead, they must rely on force. This means that the military must play a major role in politics; and since the army has long been a Sunni preserve, rule by force implies rule by Sunni Arabs. Iraq is a new country, young in years, even if ancient in history; its political discourse, institutions and social bonds are yet undeveloped. For Iraq to become stable, religious ties must either be withdrawn from public life or allowed to balance each other; then political integration and participation will follow.