The New York Times: The demonstrations in Iraq tore apart the myth of sectarianism

The New York Times has addressed protests in Iraq since early October that have killed more than 275 people and injured thousands, saying it has seen a dramatic escalation despite what it described as brutal security forces' handling of protesters.

The newspaper said in an article published today that Iraqis protested at the outset against corruption and unemployment and the failure of the government to provide services, but a month after the violence of the state called for the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and a comprehensive reform of the political process in the country.

She stressed that the Iraqi government and the political elite failed to respond in an acceptable manner to the demonstrators, where protesters rejected the promise made by Iraqi President Barham Saleh to draft a new electoral law, and put an end to the current system in which the government is formed to make deals.

But the demonstrators saw these promises, which include reforming the country's election commission by bringing in independent experts as members, too few and too late, and saw them merely as cosmetic changes aimed at supporting a distorted political system.

Most of the protests are taking place in Baghdad and other southern cities, noting that the killing of more than 18 protesters in the city of Karbala last week shows that the predominantly Shiite provinces have not benefited from political parties that use "Shiite identity" to gain and maintain power.

The myth of sectarianism
The protests and the violent reaction of the authorities tore apart the myth of sectarianism as a systematic principle of political power, as state-sponsored sectarianism did not achieve protection and progress for citizens.

According to the paper, the problem lies in the political system imposed by the US-led coalition against Iraq in 2003, which established the lie that Iraqis did not have a unified national identity and that their dominant identity was sectarian or ethnic, Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, which isolated Christians, Yezidis and Mandaeans And other minorities in Iraq.

On the other hand, the Iraqi demonstrators, according to the newspaper - carrying the Iraqi flag and reject all other political and sectarian symbols, and filled the national songs and enthusiastic Iraqi streets again, and the overwhelming slogan - "We want a home" - calling for an Iraq that does not suffer from the diseases of sectarian divisions Politicians manipulate him, with the slogan "I will take my rights myself."

Instead of building on the principles of citizenship after the fall of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, Iraq's political class worked on a sectarian patronage system for political power and material gain.

In this way, the sectarian identity is enshrined as an unwritten basis for power-sharing, in which the prime minister is a Shiite, the Kurdish head of state and the Sunni speaker of parliament, reinforcing sectarian divisions and undermining electoral efficiency and legitimacy, so that government formation is closer to brokering.

Demonstrators are demanding a national government that does not depend on any external force.The newspaper said that the images from cities such as Nasiriyah, Basra and Baghdad generate a mixture of hope and fear, where the courage of the protesters gives hope for change, but the brutality of the response of the security forces sends fear.

The cruelty of the Iraqi government was embodied in the recent statement that it did not know the identity of the snipers who shot and killed many protesters in Baghdad, yet the Iraqi youth continue to challenge.

A sovereign state
The author warned that the predominantly Sunni provinces and cities remained far from the protests for fear of being branded Baathist or supporting ISIS, but some of the protesters have now joined the protests in Baghdad, carrying banners expressing the solidarity of their cities.

Although economic deprivation and political collapse have led Iraqis to the streets, a sense of pride has emerged from the protests and centered on the fundamental requirement that Iraq be seen as a sovereign state.

The permanent solution would be to tackle corruption, hold corrupt officials accountable, ensure a transparent system in forming the next government, and ensure that Iraq, which has the world's fifth largest proven oil reserves, can provide basic education and health services to all its citizens.

The author concluded that people are fed up with the current power-sharing system, that there are increasing calls for a presidential system in which the leader is responsible for the welfare and sovereignty of the state, and concluded that Iraqis are essentially demanding efficiency and accountability, so that officials do not hide behind the "regime."