Statement against the division of Iraq

نداء صادر من كتاب وصحفيي ومثقفي وسط وجنوب العراق لنتعاون جميعا لاسقاط لعبة الفيدرالية

A statement by writers, journalists and intellectuals from mid and south Iraq against the division of Iraq

We the undersigned, a number of Iraq’s writers, journalists and intellectuals from mid and south Iraq, we direct our statements to our people, all our fellow citizens all over Iraq. To Iraqis of all ethnic and religious identities.

We feel compelled to speak up as Iraqi citizens, in defence of our homeland, it is our sacred duty to do so.

We believe that the federalism law, introduced quickly and without a proper nation wide debate, is but an old scheme to destroy Iraq by dividing it. Iraq will be divided into small bickering entities to weaken it and erode the authority of its central government. This way, Iraq, with the richness of its human and natural resources will be prevented from developing into a strong nation, capable of being a significant player in the region. To prevent Iraq from becoming a regional heavy weight against the imperialist designs in the Middle East. And against the Zionist entity in Palestine, whose creation aims at preventing Arab countries from achieving their aspirations in prosperity and economical independence.

Federalism is usually introduced to smaller independent countries coming together to create a central political administration in order to meet its economical and security needs.

None of the member states has the power to over rule the authority of the central government, in matters of security, economic policy and planning as has happened to the countries constituting Germany, Italy and the US.

History has not witnessed, the division of a country into federal entities being then united by a weaker central government as being proposed in Iraq. This has little to do with true meaning of Federalism.

This old imperialist scheme is being translated into reality with the help of the agents of the superpowers. Agents, who have neither legitimacy nor moral authority to act in the name of the Iraq people, they disregard and violate all the intrinsically sacred values of the Iraqi people.

Their baseless claim that the Federal law in Iraq will prevent the coming of dictatorships in Iraq in the future is only but an example of their own arrogance and dictatorial tendency, by nominating and electing themselves as the saviours of the Iraqi people ! They are only concerned with keeping their positions and thrones whichever way they can. Theya re only focused on their own goals and are determined to achieve them, whether by collaborating with the foreign invaders, by igniting civil strife, murdering their own people, in order to gain power and authority albeit on a small part of Iraq.

Those who claim that Federalism reflects the will of the Iraqi people and was based on a referendum on the constitution are being economical with the truth. Every section of the constitution should have been extensively examined by independent and qualified experts freely discussed and explained before the constitution is then put to the people for a referendum, that would have been the only way, for this claim to be true.

We all know how the current constitution was sneaked past the Iraqis with promises of it being the panacea for a better life and end to the Iraqis miseries. Even at the time of the voting in the referendum the final version of the constitution was not available in print for the Iraqis to read and make a considered judgment.

The current constitution is largely based on the Transitional Administration Law (TAL)

In his memoirs, Paul Bremmer, admits that Iraq’s temporary constitution (TAL) written by a committee imposed by him, was the brain child of Adnan Patchechi.

All the discussions on the constitution were one sided, carried out by figures and orgnisations supporting the war and occupation that had facilitated their climb into the corridors of power.

None of the parties were opposed to the occupation. The introduction of this constitution is a prime example of an autocratic practice in Iraq.

The country of Mesopotamia has always been a unitary geographical, political multi ethnic entity with a rich history of achievements of a flourishing nation.

Those who want to use civil strife as an excuse for introducing Federalism, are disingenuous and devious . Islam came to unite the people, all the theological differences that appeared as a result of ‘Ijtihad’ after the death of the prophet are minor many of them took place in Iraq. This is a reflection of the tolerance that advanced debate and critical thinking in Iraq, over the centauries

It is in Iraq, that different strands of Shiaism and the different schools of Sunnism appeared. Today, Iraqis still refer to the lingisutc rules introduced by these religious scholars in Basra and Kufa. Nothing in Iraq’s culture and traditions are imported apart from the hated occupation with all its dubious projects, its heinous crimes, its bombardment of the cities with depleted uranium and phosphoric bombs, its democracy of killing and civil strife, its plunder and pilfering.

We remind all that our people, the founders of the cradle of civilization and Iraq was the centre of administration of three powerful historical countries Before the birth of Christ. In Nineveh, Ur and Babylon. And three other capitals that ruled the world from China to Andalucía (Kufa, Baghdad and Samara) We had a flourishing civilizations while the rest of the world was shrouded with darkness.

It is therefore, not a coincidence that the US forces should station its troops in Ur and Babel and should wreaks its destruction on Baghdad, Kufa, Nineveh and Samarra.

With your sacrifices Iraq the old and new was built, do not acquiesce to being a pickaxe for demolishing the glories of your ancestors

Rebel and do not be any less vigorous than your grand parents in your strive for the glory and dignity of your country

The merchants of federalism are the merchants of sectarianism and strife, they are motivated by loathing of Iraq and striving for their own personal interests.

We therefore call on our suffering people, to turn the pain into a rage against the Zino American conspiracies and to undermine these dirty plans by standing united for defeating the occupation and expelling it with all its agents and symbols.