Chaos In The Cradle...

THE CRADLE OF CIVILZATION IS IN CHAOS.

It is agreed that the country of Iraq is in a bit of a mess. It has never known anything resembling democracy. Every time the West has played with Iraq, disaster has struck in one way or another. The only history that they have had with the West is one of colonialism (and, really, the same can be said of the rest of the Middle East.) At the end of World War I, the League of Nations granted the area to the United Kingdom as a mandate. It was formed out of three former Ottoman regions, Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. But how many Westerners know the origins of the various sects, cults and religions in that region that are tossed around with no explanation of what the schism is? What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims - they all follow Mohammed, correct? Both Sunni and Shia Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have created varying practices and positions which have come to carry a spiritual significance.

The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation. The word 'Sunni' in Arabic comes from a word meaning 'one who follows the traditions of the Prophet.' If any of this religious wrangling sounds familiar – it should. Judaism has split into various factions and Christianity into hundreds of ‘churches’ each claiming to own the highway to Salvation. When all is said and done, is there any difference between Mother Nature (she whom it is not nice to fool,) Yahweh, Allah and God? Plus the differences between the Shias and Sunnis sound suspiciously like the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism.

On the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself. The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself.

Many aspects of spiritual life have been affected and now differ between the two groups of Muslims. Shias believe that the Imam is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from God. Sunnis counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunnis contend that leadership of the community is not a birthright, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves. These differences touch all detailed aspects of religious life: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, etc. Sunnis make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. It is important to remember that despite all of these differences in opinion and practice, Shia and Sunni Muslims share the main articles of Islamic belief and are considered by most to be brethren in faith. In fact, most Muslims do not distinguish themselves by claiming membership in any particular group, but prefer to call themselves simply, 'Muslims.'
And what about the Kurds? It has been said they "hold their Islam lightly," meaning that they are not so vehement about Islam and do not identify as closely with it as the Arabs do. This is perhaps due to two factors: First, many Kurds still feel some connection with the ancient Zoroastrian faith, and feel it is an original Kurdish spirituality that far predates the seventh century AD arrival of Muhammad. Secondly, their principal oppressors and antagonists for over one thousand years have been fellow Muslims. Nonetheless, most Kurds are Muslims, and about 75% today are at least nominally members of the majority Sunni branch. As many as four million Kurds are Shiites, living mostly in Iran where the Shiite faith predominates. Drawing heavily on shamanism, Zoroastrianism and elements of Christianity, Kurdish mysticism places emphasis on the direct experience of God through meditation, ecstatic experiences and the intercession of holy men or sheiks. Most Kurds possess a tangible sense of the supernatural, readily acknowledging demonic activity in the form of evil spirits and curses; they often worship at shrines or other holy places.


Since the creation of the modern state of Iraq, by the British and the French, the history of Iraqi Kurdistan has been one of underdevelopment, political and cultural repression, destruction, ethnic cleansing and genocide. The Spoils was the codename given to an aggressive, planned, military operation against the Iraqi Kurds. It was part of an ongoing, larger campaign against Kurds because of their struggle to gain autonomy within the Republic of Iraq. The San Remo Peace Conference of Allied Powers endorsed the British and French mandate, with Britain holding the mandate in Palestine, Transjordan and Mesopotamia, now Iraq. Syria & Lebanon went to France, plus a 25% share in the proceeds of Iraqi oil. Ah yes, don’t let’s forget the oil!

For the adventurous reader a perusal of the works of T. E. Lawrence (especially The Seven Pillars of Wisdom) explains what happened to all of Arabia during and after WWI, and why. It’s not a pretty read! King Feisal in ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ said: “No Arab loves the desert. We love water and green trees. In the Arab city of Cordova, there were two miles of public lighting in the streets when London was a village.” Andalusia resembled the rest of Europe in all its squalor. But within two-hundred years the Moors had turned it into a bastion of culture, commerce and beauty. Irrigation systems imported from Syria and Arabia turned the dry plains into an agricultural cornucopia. Olives and wheat had always grown there. The Arabs added pomegranates, oranges, lemons, aubergines, artichokes, cumin, coriander, bananas, almonds, henna, woad, madder, saffron, sugar-cane, cotton, rice, figs, grapes, peaches, apricots and rice. By the beginning of the ninth century, Moorish Spain was the gem of Europe with its capital city, Cordova. With the establishment of Abdurrahman III - "the great caliphate of Cordova" - came the golden age of Al-Andalus. Cordova, in southern Spain, was the intellectual center of Europe. In Cordova there were half a million inhabitants, living in 113,000 houses. There were 700 mosques and 300 public baths spread throughout the city and its twenty-one suburbs. The streets were paved and lit. The houses had marble balconies for summer and hot-air ducts under the mosaic floors for the winter. They were adorned with gardens with artificial fountains and orchards. Paper, a material still unknown to the west, was everywhere. There were bookshops and more than seventy libraries. And the West presumes to know what’s best for these people?

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Wendy England Binnie a novelist and op/ed columnist lives in Oak Trace Villas with husband, Bill. Binnieocal@aol.com