A Breakthrough in Targeted Innovation
Conquering Innovation Fatigue: Now at Amazon!
Conquering Innovation Fatigue is a new book on strategy and innovation published by John Wiley & Sons. Its authors, Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins, and Mukund Karanjikar, bring decades of experience and diverse backgrounds together to reveal new insights and strategies based on understanding the personal side of innovation. See what leading experts in business and innovation say about the book.
Supporting blog: InnovationFatigue.com
My RSS Feeds
Shock for Christians: We've Established Islam as the State Religion in Iraq
Most Americans, even those opposed to the war, have hoped that at least there would be liberty for the Iraqi people. Most Americans consider religious freedom to be one of the most critical aspects of liberty. The many Christians in Iraq were also thinking along those lines, expecting to have more religious liberty in the new Iraq.
Hasta la vista, liberty, and adios, Christians! The new constitution of Iraq establishes Islam as the Official State Religion. (See Article 7: "Islam is the official religion of the State and is to be considered a source of legislation.") There is lip service to religious liberty in the document, but the clear reality is that valiant and liberty-loving Americans have fought and died to establish a state religion in Iraq. That reality is dangerous enough that many Christians in Iraq are preparing to flee the country, as reported in the article, "Christians Begin Exodus From Iraq" by
Ken Joseph Jr., June 8, 2004, in Insightmag.com.
The Assyrian Christians in Iraq represent an ancient tradition that was there long before Islam. The Assyrian Christian Church may be the oldest continually existing church in the world. But now they have little choice but to leave, and feel shocked and betrayed by what is happening in so-called liberated Iraq.
Here is an excerpt from commentary by Ken Joseph, Jr.:
"We thought the Americans were going to bring us Freedom and Democracy" says 31 year old Robert. "Instead, they are promoting Islam. We do not understand it!"
"We love the Americans! We are so grateful for them removing Sadaam and giving us back our freedom. We do not want their effort to be a failure if the dictatorship of Sadaam is replaced by the dictatorship of islam."
"The American funded TV Station, Al Iraqia broadcasts moslem programs four times every day and for two hours each Friday but nothing for the other religions. The recent inauguration of the new government was opened by a moslem mullah giving a long message from the koran and prayer, but none of our Priests were invited at all. Why do they do this? Why do the Americans promote moslems? They need to promote equality and democracy and freedom, not moslem dictatorship!"
"Iraq is becoming a moslem country! What happened to the American promise to help it become a democracy that would be a place for all to live? This is our homeland! We are the original people of Iraq! We should not have to leave!" he continues.
Americans should demand an explanation. What happened to the promise of Democracy? Will more Americans die to establish Islamic states? Will we stand by while Christians are driven out of their ancient homeland by the government we created?
Article 7. A) ...This Law...guarantees the full religious rights of all
individuals to freedom of religious belief and practice.
... Article
12.
All Iraqis are equal in their rights without regard to gender, sect, opinion, belief, nationality, religion, or origin, and they are equal before the law. Discrimination against an Iraqi citizen on the basis of his gender, nationality, religion, or origin is prohibited. Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the security of his person. No one may be deprived of his life or liberty, except in accordance with legal procedures. All are equal before the courts.
These provisions look like a pretty good quasi-democracy to me. Perhaps all Christians in Iraq ought to remind those who persecute them in the name of religion of the phrase in Qur'an that says "there shall be no compulsion in religion" (Surah 2:256). Read to them and ask them, "Do you intend to live as you believe Allah directed or be a hypocrite and attack us on the basis of religion as some form of compulsion?"
DCP
Not only are the Christians being excluded from the so-called "democracy"
of Iraq, now that we've guaranteed Islam will be the official state
religion, but we've taken pains to include the wrong people. With some
support from US taxpayers, Iraqi communists are gaining political influence.
Shouldn't we start asking whose war this was?
Visit me @ http://www.jefflindsay.com/