2. The Iraq Model

 The Bush Administration thought of politics as the
relationship between individuals and the state.
 In the Middle East people see politics as the balance
of power between communities.
 There are no politics in the authoritarian regimes –
it’s the regimes way or the highway.

3. Remember

 Part of the US Foreign Policy in the Middle East
was/is to make Iraq a model of democracy for the
Middle East.
 The hope is that democracy will allow the diverse
populations of the Middle East to finally get along …

4. Is there a rivalry?

 As of right now a little– but the rivalry between
Sunni and Shiite is growing quickly.
 Most Islamists are Shiite (as a minority group
throughout much of the Middle East - democracy is
the only way Shittes can have any voice).
 Most of the ruling classes of the Middle East are
Sunni.
 Creates an immediate conflict of interest.

5. Iran

 Iran is considered the leader of the Shitte world, and
their influence has been growing since 2003.

6. Iraq and Iran

 Since US occupation of Iraq, Iran has built an
extensive support network amongst Iraqis.
 This closeness between Iraq and Iran has caught the
US off guard.
 Since they fought each other in a war for most of the
80’s we assumed they would continue to be cold
towards each other.
 The hole Sunni/Shiite thing was not considered?

7. Iraq and Iran continued
…

 Saddam’s Baath party was Sunni and they did
everything they could to drive Shiites out of Iraq.
 Less diversity would equal more control of Iraq.
 Even resorted to pogroms to get the job done.
 Many Shiites who left Iraq in the 80’s and 90’s are
now going back home.
 These returning Iraqis have strong connections with
their Shiite neighbors now …

8. Sharia Law

 Sharia Law is the religious code and religious law of
Islam.
 Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular
law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well
as personal matters such as sexual intercourse,
hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting.
 Interpretations of sharia vary between cultures.
 Its source is from the Koran and Muslim religious
scholars.

9. Concerns of Sharia Law
in the USA

 Woman’s rights
 Some punishments are seen as Medieval
 Separation of church and state to promote life, liberty,
and pursuit of happiness.
 Freedom of religion, of expression, of thought …
 No room for debate, Sharia Law comes from God and is
infallible .
 What if Muslim Americans want this stuff here?
 Sharia Law has been the corner stone of the Islamist
movement, especially among Shiites.

10. Muslim Brotherhood

 The Brotherhood's credo was and is, "Allah is our
objective; the Quran is our law, the Prophet is our
leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of
Allah is the highest of our aspirations.“

11. Continued …

 The Brotherhood's stated goal is to instill the Qur'an
as the "sole reference point for ...ordering the life of
the Muslim family, individual, community ... and
state".
 The movement officially opposes violent means to
achieve its goals, although it at one time
encompassed a paramilitary wing and its members
were involved in massacres, bombings and
assassinations of political opponents.

12. Why these guys worry
the USA

 Their language in their charters make us nervous.
 It’s a group that has membership across this Middle
East.
 They have potential to unify the Middle East into an
a new Caliph, or Muslim Empire.
 It’s unlikely, given the numerous rivalries in the
Middle East, but it’s a possibility nonetheless.