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Loyalty
What Matters, Not Muslim Or Christian: Tikriti
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"The
talk about Sunni or Shiite majority and minority in Iraq is far
from being true," Tikriti
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By
Ahmad Maher, IOL Staff
CAIRO,
April 28 (IslamOnline.net) - The Iraqi people should stand shoulder to
shoulder in such a critical juncture and undertake the death-or-life
task of liberating their motherland from the U.S. colonialism, the
general supervisor of the Muslim Brotherhood Group in Iraq and head of
the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), Dr. Osama al-Tikriti, said in an
IslamOnline.net live dialogue Sunday, April 27.
In
a two-hour dialogue with people from all over the globe, Tikriti gave
visitors of IslamOnline.net some insights into the party's broad
guidelines and the role undertaken by the group in the post-war Iraq.
The
dialogue, in effect, covered a plethora of troubling questions and
burning issues, including Iraq's religious, sectarian and cultural
mosaic, the expected U.S.-installed government in the war-torn
country, the resistance against the U.S. occupation and the priorities
of the party's agenda in the days ahead.
Now
that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein is out of the picture, Tikriti
expected that the Iraqi people will enjoy their inalienable right to
freedom of expression, asserting that Iraq would be for all Iraqis
regardless of their religion or race.
"Loyalty
to Iraq is what really matters…No difference whatsoever between
Iraqi Sunnis, Shiites or Christians," he said.
"The
talk about Sunni or Shiite majority and minority in Iraq is far from
being true and worthless. The percentage of Sunni and Shiite
population in Iraq is edging closer," he asserted, hoping that
the new Iraqi regime would enhance political plurality.
"I
hope that ballots would have the final say in those who would
represent the Iraqis," he said.
"I
underline and underscore that we will not impose our own way on the
Iraqi people forcibly…Enough is enough. We must provide an ample
room for the Iraqi people to speak their minds out and choose (their
leaders)," he asserted.
Iraq
is a Muslim country, he continued, and Islam respects all other
religions and although "Christians, Jews and Sabeans represent
only three percent of Iraq's population, but this does not mean that
we will trespass them or down-tread their rights."
Iraqi
Mosaic
On
Iraq's religious and cultural mosaic in the post-war era, Tikriti said
the leaders of Sunnis, Shiites and other factions are mindful of the
grave consequences of disunity and division as the country is now on
the threshold of a turning point.
"All
should stand united and help rebuild their war-battered country and
restore security to the Iraq. The leaders of the Sunnis and Shiites
are on a daily contact and have already hammered out a number of
agreements to heal the rift.
"We
cannot place all Shiites in one basket. Some of them do understand the
current situation and others do not. But their leaders are determined
to make no one fish in troubled waters or to whip up sectarian
sedition," Tikriti said.
Tikriti,
however, said the Iraqi people live in harmony on the common ground of
Islam, which spreads equality and justice between all people.
"If
we peruse the annals of Muslim history, we find out that Arabs, Kurds,
Turkmen and other races had not problem in co-existing
peacefully…Even Muslims, Christians and other communities in Iraq
are helping one another for the welfare of their country," he
said.
The
Iraqi Kurds are "our brothers in religion and country," he
said, adding that "they and other Iraqi communities were
oppressed by the toppled Iraqi regime."
"Now
they must win back their usurped rights to be rest assured and help us
rebuild our country in conformity with an agreed-upon formula drawn up
by the future Iraqi government," he said.
He
also said that restoring peace and security and providing the Iraqis
with their daily basics came high on the agenda.
Resisting
Occupation
Tikriti
said that resisting the U.S. occupation is the first and foremost goal
of the Muslim Brotherhood and the IIP, highlighting the dire need to
cement the bonds of the Arab nation and the Iraqi people in
particular.
"Muslim
Brotherhood offshoots in more than 70 countries around the world, no
doubt, stand ready to help the Iraqi people force the (U.S.)
occupation our of their country.
"The
Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq has been always against the occupation of
any Arab or Muslim country. They follow in the footsteps of Imam
Hassan al-Banna (the founder of the group in 1928), who put the
liberation of Muslim countries high on the agenda in order to lay the
foundation of a thorough Islamic action," he said.
"No
one can imagine that Islam would thrive while Iraq is under
occupation," he added.
Tikriti,
however, gave no details on the group's methods of resistance, noting
that it was too early to tackle such an issue.
"We
must first prepare people psychologically and intellectually for
resisting the occupation and declaring Jihad (against the U.S. troops
in Iraq)," he said.
But
he said that occupation "leave us with no option but to defend
ourselves and our country irrespective of the method of
resistance."
Tikriti
further said that after long decades of underground activities in
exile, now his party can work publicly inside Iraq.
"Now
the pivotal role will be really played by the party's cadres inside
Iraq and preparations are under way," he said, asserting that the
party was at good terms with all Iraqi factions in exile.
"We
are all against the U.S.-led war on Iraq…We took to the streets of
London along with hundreds of thousands of anti-war demonstrators. But
we went into exile for circumstances beyond our control just like
millions of Iraqis who were forced to flee their country.
"No
Arab or Muslim country was ready to host, given that we were
determined to pursue our political activities under an atmosphere of
freedom, which is something of a rarity in the Arab and Muslim
world," said Tikriti.
No
To U.S.-Installed Government
On
the expected U.S.-installed government in Iraq, Tikriti said the IIP
will not join such a government, arguing that the party did not
recognize the occupation at the first place.
"Iraq
is actually under occupation. The Occupation authorities are trying to
establish a political system that would serve best its interests in
the region," he explained.
"We
are now working in tandem with other Iraqi factions to give the
opportunity to leaders from the grassroots, who appeal to the Iraqi
people," he said.
"As
for those who are flanking (U.S. civil administrator in Iraq retired
Gen. Jay) Garner and working under his supervision, they will have no
future role in running the Iraqi affairs on the long run, since the
Iraqi will see them in negative light, making their presence on the
country's political landscape unthinkable," Tikriti said.
On
the latest statements made by the head of the society of Iraqi
scholars, Dr. Ahmad al-Kubaissi, who told IslamOnline.net Saturday,
April 26, that joining a U.S.-installed government in post-war Iraq "is
possible," Tikriti said he did not know for sure whether or not the veteran Iraqi
scholar really made such statements, but asserted that any party
should be cautious when making press statements.
He,
however, praised Sheikh Kubaissi, describing him as a
"erudite" Muslim scholar. "We share identical
methodology," he said.
On
the party's relations with Iraq's neighboring countries, Tikriti said
he, like all Iraqis, feels heartbroken to see brotherly Arab countries
providing facilities and all kind of logistical support for the
invading troops.
The
IIP was established in 1960 under the Iraqi regime of then Iraqi
president Abdul Kareem Qassem. Shortly afterwards, the party was
banned, forcing the party's leaders to flee the country to escape the
oppressive and arbitrary rule of the Iraqi president.
After
the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990, the party came to light again
to help the Iraqis get rid of the yoke of the Baath ruling party.
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