The future of Iraq

Submitted by Sigmund Derman (United States), Jun 14, 2014 at 22:03

Though I am certainly no expert of these things, I will say that I like your second alternative the best. Certain it seems that an independent Kurdistan would be good. The Kurds always seem willing to step up to the plate and provide a reasonably stable framework for governance and life in the regions they control. Perhaps I am misinformed, but I sure haven't heard of beheadings and mass executions by the Kurds. They seem to exemplify the possibility that a country with mostly Islamic citizens can be reasonably decent and stable. Not that they I expect to be able to start a Kosher deli there any time soon, but I like the idea of a Kurdistan. Then a Sunnistan (for the non-Kurdish Sunnis) and a Shiitistan would then round out the package. The downside would be that it would increase by two the number of Islamic countries in the UN.

The other thing I like about the idea is that it puts the main antagonists in separate countries. I know that flies into the face of our Western "diversity and inclusion" mantra. Good heavens, one might say. How can we accept a separate country for Shiites, a separate country for Kurds (mostly Sunni), and a separate country for the other Sunnis? We need to make them act like us and have all religions and ethnic groups live harmoniously together. Well, I like that type of diverse and inclusive society myself and I hope the Middle Eastern people can achieve it eventually. But perhaps some preliminary stages are necessary. Israel is quite diverse and inclusive but even Israel is somewhat strained by the divergent viewpoints in its population. Certainly Israel should NOT accept large numbers of people who do not accept it in its present form and likewise I do not know how a country such as Iraq (or even worse Suraqiva) could hold together. But it would decrease the number of Muslim states in the UN by one if Syria and Iraq were merged.

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