Monday, March 21, 2005

Iraq's New Leaders Wrestle with Role of Islam

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When Iraq's recently elected parliament starts debating a new national constitution, one of its thorniest tasks will be to agree on the role of Islam.

The decisions of the 275 MPs, who hold their first working session this month, could have wide-ranging repercussions in a region still searching for a balance between Islam and politics
Kurds, who have 75 assembly seats, and other secular-minded members say Islam should remain a source of legislation but not the sole one -- the formula adopted for an interim constitution drawn up a year ago under the U.S.-led occupation authority.

Islamists in the parliament's Shi'ite majority may seek a greater role for Muslim sharia law.
Given Iraq's sectarian mix and secular traditions, there is no obvious model for the parliamentarians to follow.
Sharia Law has always worked great in a Democracy, just like Christian Extremist.

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