www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Iraqi Constitution

It's either going to work to form a state that takes into consideration Islam AND Democracy while protecting the rights of Christians or it won't. I wish things could be easier.

Here's a reflection on the subject.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/135/23.0.html

Dan L

Dear Dan:

The writers's reflections are to the point and a consitutionalist could not have done any better under the circumstances.

A "Constitution" is the fundamental law of the land; it is the basic source of rights and obligations in a State.

Rushing a draft as in the case of this "new" Iraqi Constitution almost always contains disparate and conflicting provisions no matter how "intelligent," "dedicated," and "purposeful" the drafters are. Vested interests invariably have their own cake and eat it, too!

The only hope we have is for the majority of Iraqis approve it in the October referendum and live by it honestly. And then when experience shows the unliveable parts of the Constitution, the government and the people will have the courage and insight to amend the "offending" provisions without further bloodshed!

We are witnessing the birth pangs of a "democratic Islamic" state (a contradiction as shown by history), if, indeed, that is possible in this age of resurgent militant and fundamentalist Islam!

Amado

P.S. The drafters should have referenced the Constitution of Indonesia, a democratic State with the largest Muslim population in the world.

I fear for the Chaldean Catholics and the Assyrians of Iraq. Shar'ia is frightening.

Juan Diego, let us pray there are any Catholics left in Iraq...

Check out this interesting article and rather positive reflections on the Iraqi constitutional process:

http://americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=4778

Here is the preamble to the Iraqi constitution:

"We, the children of Mesopotamia, land of the prophets, resting place of the holy imams, the founders of civilization and the creators of the alphabet, the cradle of arithmetic: On our land, the first law put in place by mankind was written; in our nation, the most noble era of justice in the politics of nations was laid down; on our soil, the followers of the prophet and the saints prayed; the philosophers and the scientists thought and the writers and prophets created."

Dear Dr. Magdalen:

Yes, the PREAMBLE of the draft Constitution of Iraq reiterates the past achievements of the Iraqi peoples but now remain merely ideals for which the Republic of Iraq stands.

Unfortunately, the PREAMBLE of any Constitution does not provide the basic and substantial rights to the people it aims to protect. Iteration of such rights (and obligations) begins with its Article I or subsequently.

(In this instance, Article I of the DRAFT Iraqi Constitution, as quoted, has a monstrous ERRATUM as it says: "The Republic of Iran is an independent . . .")

At any rate, the writer should not be edifying the apparent "contributions" of American "consultants" because, if that's the case, the U.S. has failed miserably in her "custodian" role: to ensure that the Iraqi peoples drafted a Constitution of and for their own!

Amado

Let�s not forget that it took America a decade of trial and error with the Articles of Confederation before we wrote the Constitution. And that it was agreed upon only with the promise of adding the Bill of Rights. And that slavery was not abolished for another 75 years. And that we didn�t guarantee civil rights until 1965.

Dear Admin:

That's the main reason why many of my ilk do not wish to become "constitutionalists!" :p

There are so many "gray" areas in the U.S. Constitution that make "splitting hairs" so darn difficult!

Instead, we try to be some sort of "legal constructionists," whatever that means!

Amado

and they are not talking about the aboriginal first-nation as the Canadians say Assyrians/Syrians who were in this land long before that gang of bandits from Arabia arrived here.