BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???

Subject: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: GUEST,maire-aine
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 01:24 PM

Just came across this article in the NY Times: Iraqi Constitution May Curb Women's Rights

Is this the kind of "democracy" we went to war to create? Is this the "freedom" Bush wants to spread throughout the Middle East?

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 01:32 PM

so - what do you want us to do? pull out immediately - in which case the conservative religious will most likely implement even stricter curbs on womens freedom

or increase military strength until they come up with a constitution that we approve of?

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: CarolC
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 01:41 PM

We should let the international community take over for us. We should join the international criminal court. We should hand over the job of taking bids and assigning contract jobs to the international community. We should stop building permanent military bases in Iraq and hand the job of helping the Iraqis build their democracy to a international body that has representatives from enough different countries that any secondary agendas any of them might have will be weeded out and addressed by the body as a whole. That would be a good start.

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: GUEST,Tobermory
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 04:16 PM

And what can the international community do, rap them on the knuckles and say naughty naughty?

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 04:21 PM

All part of "the price worth paying", as the people who know they will never have to pay that price refer to it.

For all its many faults, the previous regime in Iraq presided over the society where women had less restrictions than in the rest of the region.

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: Ebbie
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 04:24 PM

The international community is the logical one - and frankly, it's the only body that can make lasting change. An analogy: On a playground, the biggest, boldest kid can force other kids to do his bidding but have him be home sick for a week, the dynamics will change a lot. In fact, when he returns he may have a lot of trouble getting them under his thumb again.

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: CarolC
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 04:31 PM

The international community can ensure that the agenda really is to help Iraqis build a true and lasting democracy. What the US is attempting to accomplish in Iraq has nothing whatever to do with helping the Iraqis build a true and lasting democracy.

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: dianavan
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 10:40 PM

I couldn't access the link but I am not at all surprized that women would have fewer rights. When given the choice between the U.S. and Iran, Iraqis will choose to 'play the game' with Iran.

Bush has lost the war on all fronts.

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: Frankham
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 10:48 PM

Guest,

You say,
"om: GUEST


"so - what do you want us to do? pull out immediately - in which case the conservative religious will most likely implement even stricter curbs on womens freedom"

If we pulled out immediately, there would be no more restrictions on the rights of women than there are now. Women are not free to go out of their houses.

"or increase military strength until they come up with a constitution that we approve of? "

The only constitution that would be approved of by the Bush Administration would not look a lot like what we know to be Democracy. Military action in Iraq only makes the US more despotic and less democratic. Democracy has never worked at the barrel of a gun, particularly when it is brought about by a foreign invading country.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: Kaleea
Date: 20 Jul 05 - 11:01 PM

For better or worse, the Iraqi people will have to govern themselves, which is supposedly the point of the 'war on terrorism' aka 'attack Iraq.' If the people of Iraq continue to work toward independence, it will be a long road to find democracy in a part of the world where many Iraqi people are not as free as other Iraqi people. America has had her share of difficulties with equality. While all humans are created equal by the creator, some humans get more than one fair share of "equality" than do others. Hopefully, the humans of our planet will someday figure out that we are all of the same race--the human race. And, that 'God' is in the eyes of the beholder.

Subject: RE: BS: Curb Iraqi Women's Rights???
From: Wolfgang
Date: 21 Jul 05 - 07:01 AM

The Iraq constitution under Hussein was a fairly good constitution for that part of the world, not only regarding women's rights. It had no death penalty for instance as far as I know. Too bad that the constitution of the country was not as good as its constitution was.

Wolfgang