Solidarity, solution to Iraq crisis: Iran Daily

Tehran, July 7, IRNA - The terrorist group of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) serves the interests of secessionists and advocates of sectarianism, wrote an English-language paper on Monday.

A glance at the ongoing crisis in the Middle East exposes the domestic strife in Muslims and Arab nations which has hindered democratic development in the region. Despite elections held in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Egypt, these nations are embroiled in turmoil in view of infrastructural problems and fragile democratic discourse, said ˈIran Dailyˈ in its Opinion column.

In Afghanistan, costly elections were held and Afghans went to the polls in the hope of a bright future. However, claims of widespread irregularities have posed a challenge for the elections.

The elections in Egypt failed to reconcile secular and religious groups.

There were glimmers of hope that elections in Iraq would ensure the security of the Arab nation. But the ISIL struck a serious blow to the process of democracy. The insurgent group operating in Iraq and the Levant has shed light on the fact that the ongoing crisis is rooted in the lack of co-existence and democracy among Muslims.

Undoubtedly, sectarianism is the formidable enemy of democracy and ISIL represents such an ominous phenomenon. Had the Syrian political factions embroiled in the country’s crisis respected the majority vote, such a terrorist group (ISIL) would not have emerged out of the blue.

Even a more constructive interaction of the majority with minorities in Iraq could have forestalled ongoing tumult created by the ISIL.

A couple of days ago, insurgents declared the establishment of a ‘caliphate’ or so-called Islamic state in Iraq, which has sown the seed of discord in the region and tarnished the image of Islam.

Strife among religious and ethnic groups in Iraq has emboldened terrorists to pursue such sinister plots and the continuation of conflicts can tear the Arab nation apart. Also, sectarianism prompted the secessionists of the semiautonomous region of Kurdistan to announce plans for a referendum among Kurdish population to gain independence from Iraq.

A compromise based on the Iraqi Constitution and efforts by influential figures such as Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani can save the country and weaken ISIL’s clout.

If attempts to solve Iraq crisis fail, tensions will spill over to Syria because the two nations are struggling with almost the same tragedy.