Iraqis in Syria and Jordan divided over constitution

The debate over the newly completed draft constitution among Iraqis in Jordan and Syria, both hosting large communities of Iraqi expatriates, reflects the existing rifts among the country's divided religious and ethnic groups. While many Iraqis say the present draft of the constitution, despite its flaws, was a step towards a new Iraq, others expressed strong opposition to clauses they say only fuels sectarian divisions rather than cementing national unity. "Considering what Iraq is going through I believe the draft is acceptable to a large degree even though there are some clauses that could be wrongly interpreted at a later stage as paving the way for legitimising sectarianism," Ali Sharba, an Iraqi political scientist, who is among an estimated 400,000 Iraqis living in Jordan, said. But Sharba echoed the views of Shi'ites, who form a majority of Iraq's population, more inclined to endorse the constitution than Sunnis as they believe it redresses years of oppression under former leader Saddam Hussein's rule. "Ordinary Shi'ites rightly or wrongly are saying they are for the constitution as it achieves the aspirations of their people and lifts some of the injustice of the past Sunni rule of Saddam," said Sharba, a Shi'ite from the southern Iraqi town of Hillah. Supporters of the constitution say it goes far in protecting fundamental human rights and has enough safeguards on women and freedom of expression and balances secular and religious interests. But some Iraqi women activists had expressed worries the new constitution may restrict women’s rights with fears that Islamic law, enshrined as a main source of law, could be used to limit their rights. They fear influential Shi'ite clerics will make women hostage to arbitrary interpretations of Islam Some have called for a quota for women in parliament. "The constitution has not guaranteed our rights. In my country a woman cannot take a decision even if she is a minister." Faten, a Shi'ite Iraqi who lives in a Damascus suburb since she left Iraq in June 2003, said. Faten is among an estimated 700,000 Iraqis who fled to Syria since the war according to Dietrun Gunther, a senior official at the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in Damascus. "There is no census so far, but estimates of Iraqis in Syria... are more are than 700,000," Gunther said, which is much higher than the 19,000 officially registered with the UNHCR since December 2003. The text of the draft constitution has failed to overcome objections by many Sunnis. They hope to reject the charter in a 15 October referendum. Iraq will hold elections in December. The preamble made clear that Iraq was a federal republic. Sunnis and some Shi'ites main objection has been that federalism would bring about partition of the country. Mainstream Sunni parties who largely shunned legislative elections in January that prevented them from having a voice in the present interim parliament, are urging their political parties to mobilise in strength against the constitution. "I see in the faces of Iraqis that they don't want this draft and do not support it because it supports federalism and partitions Iraq. This draft nurtures sectarianism and doesn't help Iraqis," Salah Mahdi Sameraei, a leading community leader in Jordan said. Sameraei also said the authorities should reconsider a decision not to allow Iraqis abroad the right to cast their vote in the referendum, saying the constitution was of fundamental importance to every Iraqi who should have a say. "This constitution will decide the fate of the Iraqi people. It's not every year that there is a referendum on a constitution," al Sameraei added. "At the end of the day it's the Iraqi people who will give the final say on whether they want this constitution or whether it serves their country's interests, he added.