Iraqis Must Value Justice, Not Power
In light of the escalating Iraqi crisis, the need for a legitimate judicial system and a culture of social justice is becoming ever more apparent, writes Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
It was notable that in a country that relies on a peaceful transfer of power via elections, demonstrators came out to demand the fall of the regime as well as adherence to the political process and the constitution. These calls have been adopted by wide segments of demonstrators in recent weeks during protests in Anbar and a number of other Iraqi cities.
The protesters' calls, however, do not offer a convincing alternative to the current political system, but suggest a return to the era of dictatorship — as evidenced by demonstrators raising photos and flags of the former Iraqi regime.
Yet all of this does not mean that there is a flaw in the vision offered by demonstrators, but rather indicates a deep imbalance in the structure of the political process in Iraq. Since 2003, the country has neglected entrenching principles of democracy and social justice as social values, and has witnessed regimes fighting for power.
In the Iraqi experience, there has always been a gap between lofty notions such as democracy, justice and citizenship and their genuine implementation in society. It is common, for example, to see parties which lack democratic standards in managing their internal relations, led by the vision of their charismatic leaders, fighting alongside the other parties for power, with the understanding that this is the only permissible form of democracy.
