Victory for secular parties in Iraqi elections

In spite of the daily sensationalist and distortionary rubbish published in the media, the reality is that progressives have plenty of good news to celebrate from the Middle East and south Asia generally.

 

Last month, one of the world's largest Muslim countries, Bangladesh, went to the polls. Its secular politicians trashed the country's right-wing conservative Sunni Islamists.

 

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=98958

 

In last year's elections in another of the world's big Muslim countries, Pakistan, the Shiia Muslim-led Pakistan Peoples' Party, a centre-left political party affiliated with Socialist International, trashed the right-wing conservative Sunni Islamists.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistani_general_election,_2008

 

A country that is overwhelmingly Sunni has a Shiia President, Asif Ali Zardari.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Peoples_Party

 

In Pakistan's North Western Territorial Assembly election, which is the centre of Taleban-inspired Sunni fundamentalist terrorism, the secular progressive Awami National Party got by far the largest share of votes and seats in the parliament. The second polling party was the centre-left Pakistan Peoples' Party, while the Sunni fundamentalists got a hiding.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awami_National_Party

 

Elections in other major Muslim-majority socieites, including Indonesia and Malaysia, had the same results. Some silly media, like the BBC, like to claim that the Turkish governing party is "Islamist" (in contrast to the strictly secular party of opposition supported by the military). But in reality the Turkish governing party is a centre-right, moderate conservative party which promotes traditional family values - not that much different to European Christian Democratic sister parties. The governing party says, for example, that if a woman wants to cover her head, well then she should be allowed to. It is the secuarlists in Turkey that thrown totalitarian tantrums - they would deny a PhD in Chemistry's right to cover her head, saying she has no right to choose to do so.

 

In June, Iran holds elections and there is a good chance a moderate reformist will knock out the fanatical conservative incumbent President. The reformists' chances will be strengthened if President Obama does not make the current Iranian President into a martyr by paying him any undo attention. The best way to defeat him is to ignore him.

 

But the best news yet came in today from Iraq. According to preliminary results, Iraqi voters chose secular and nationalist parties over their religious rivals in provisional elections held on Saturday.