The Sons of Mesopotamia

Well, my eyes are strained from reading in entirety, the text of the Iraqi Constitution which is scheduled for a referendum on October 15th. This definitely calls for a trip to Starbucks and one of those giant cookies. But for those of you too busy or lazy to keep up with things across the globe, here is a blog synopsis.

Starting out with the lofty goal of a new Iraq, a land without sectarianism, regionalism, discrimination or isolation, the Constitution proclaims, "We are the people of Iraq.... to learn yesterdays lessons for tomorrow." So here we go!

*Arabic and Kurdish will be the two official languages. As such, official gazettes, domains, documents and passports will be in those languages. But allowances are made for the right of the Iraqi to educate their children in their mother tongue, for instance, Turkomen or Assyrian.

*The requirements of citizenship are that one parent be Iraqi. Dual citizenship may also be held until such time the citizen moves into a high level security position. At such point, any other national affiliation of citizenship must be surrended. A naturalized citizen can lose such status in cases stated by law.

*There is a right for freedom of movement.

*Low income people are exempt from taxes.

*The state shall provide for the disabled.

*Slavery is forbidden.

*The president must be Iraqi by birth and at least forty years of age.

*This one I did not quite understand, but Article 71 states that the president may pardon those convicted of international crime and terrorism. Don't quite like the wording on that one.

*Article 142 was also a bit hard for me to swallow. It guarantees compensation to the families of martyrs. One can only hope their martyrdom was not due to a planned attack on civilians. Hmmmm? You all know how I have this bit of a bias against your average low intelligence suicide bomber. (How many Ph.D's do you know that engage such strategy?)

*Article 145 (2nd clause) appealed to me. It has to do with the "National De-Baathification Committee. I'll join that one....

*Article 151 states that a proportion of no less than 25% seats in the Council of Representatives are reserved for women.

I have read constitutional documents of different nations. I see them as hinged hope. One hears the cry of the people. But the hope that infuses the document hinges on different things. Moving from dreams to reality is a difficult task. Much hinges on the incorruptability of those who move into the governmental matrix, the resiliency of the population and also God's divine providence.

I wish for the people of Iraq a safe and prosperous future. And may the final document which is accepted to anchor this nascent new government, serve them well.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com