Lecture by Ammar Al-Hakim

Time: Monday, October 13, 2008

By Pamela Klasová and Ammar Ibrahim

Ammar al-Hakim, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, at first outlined the religious and ethnic landscape of Iraq mentioning its three main groups—the Shiah, constituting the majority of the population, the Sunni´s and the Kurds—and its other minorities such as the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Turkmens, etc.

The Sunni minority had ruled the country for more than 80 years, monopolized and mistreated the Shiah and the Kurds depriving them of any political representation. After the collapse of Saddam´s regime in 2003, this situation changed and the leaders of the different groups were able to reach a consensus and form the National Unity Government. However, Iraq has been facing many challenges: assuring the countries of the region that democracy in Iraq for them does not constitute any danger, convincing the Sunnis that they will not be exposed to any revenge, assuring the Shiah and the Kurds that the massacres and ethnic cleansing will not be repeated and reaffirming the full participation of minorities in political life.

Furthermore, Ammar al-Hakim pointed out the issue of terrorism as the major concern for the country, raising the question of eventual foreign involvement, particularly in terms of its financial, armed and logistical support. In order to overcome this threat, the Iraqi government must focus on the roots of the problem in fighting the divisions within the nation by uniting the people beyond their religious and ethnic differences.

Nevertheless, the rise of a democratic regime in Iraq is a remarkable novelty for a region that has been dominated by authoritarian regimes. The current political situation requires the inclusion of all the components of Iraqi society within the government, which is a significant concession of the Shiah majority.