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Tehran should be prevented from playing the Shiite card
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article546991.ece
By ALI BLUWI | ARAB NEWS
Published: Dec 13, 2011 00:50 Updated: Dec 13, 2011 00:50
Youssef Makki, a Saudi political analyst and secretary-general of the Center for Arab Unity Studies claimed that Arab states should collectively isolate Iran by reinforcing their own national unity.
Iran has done what it takes to terminate the Shiite reference of Najaf, to dominate Iraq, and yet the Shiites are not under the influence of Iran, Makki said in an interview with Arab News.
He said the majority of Arab Shiites are for restoring the Arabism of Iraq and for resisting American occupation. He also added that there were some objective reasons for the Arab Spring.
Nonetheless, aspects of external interference confirm the trend of targeting the wealth of Arab nations to implement a new Middle East project, he said.
The interview:
How do you perceive the Arab Spring and where is it going? And what are the obvious pros and cons of the Arab Spring?
Youssef Makki: There is a need to distinguish between two matters. On one hand, reading the internal situation in the Arab countries, and on the other the external schemes that aim to chart a new map for the Middle East in line with the great powers interests.
As for the former, we are struck by the ineptness of the political elites to meet the needs of people. Many Arab regimes have failed in their developmental and political programs and have prevented their people from participation through the nonexistence of institutions that reflects peoples aspiration for freedom.
Therefore, there are factors such as the absence of democratic institutions including the concept of the rule of law, the lack of separation among authorities, the absence of rotation of power and the spread of unemployment and corruption that has triggered this wave of resentment and mistrust in the ruling institutions. This new environment is conducive for external infiltration and this is exactly what has been happening.
Is the Arab Spring anarchic and controlled from outside or is it being controlled through relations with domestic forces?
As I said before, the deterioration of domestic conditions in the Arab countries at all levels can facilitate external infiltration. As far as the external dimension is concerned, there are some schemes and projects for reshaping the region geopolitically.
Such schemes have better chances through igniting sectarian conflicts and reviving ethnic identities. These means were talked about during the 1970s and also during the Madrid Peace Conference when the American Secretary of States James Baker referred to the new greater Middle East to replace the Arab order which came into being in the middle of 1940s with the establishment of the Arab League. Additionally, the former Prime Minister of Israel Shimon Peres published a book on his vision of a new Middle East. The contents of the book were identical to the global scheme that Baker had referred to during the Madrid Conference.
The 9/11 attacks provided the opportunity to implement the scheme. The issue of weapons of mass destruction and the alleged relationship between Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda were used as a pretext to overthrow the regime in Baghdad.
The occupation of Iraq and the political process that was based on ethnic and sectarian allocation and orchestrated by American Ambassador Paul Bremer only reinforced the sectarian strife in Iraq. And yet, history is a process that cannot be evoked in a similar way. For this reason, the Iraqi scenario cannot be replayed particularly after the fierce Iraqi resistance to the American occupation and whoever was aligned to that occupation. Therefore, new scenarios should be created and here the Arab Spring step in as an alternative. Here we do not incriminate those who threw their weight behind the Arab Spring. Of course, there are objective conditions that led to the eruption of the situation. What I would like to confirm here is that fact that there the West has been exploiting and directing the Arab Spring. This might explain political Islam in most of the Arab countries that have been subject to the Arab Spring. This coincides with the demands for federalism and the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. This reminds us of the concept of constructive anarchy.
Will the Arab Spring have an impact on the GCC countries and will it trigger reforms within the GCC?
GCC states are part of the Arab nation and are connected to the rest of the Arab states by virtue of geography, history, religion, language, and common suffering.
As the people of this planet are living in a global village, they are subject to the influence of what is happening. There is no one who is immune to the storms and hurricanes close to us. I will not be revealing a secret when I say that regional as well as international powers target the Gulf countries. These countries are also included in the maps that we talked about and the talk about fragmenting and dividing countries is not new. Seen in this way, I think that the GCC countries will be vigilant and block external intervention thought by focusing on internal national unity and reinforcing the concept of citizenship. Social, economic, and political reforms are a must should we aspire to preempt any negative external intervention.
How do you view the Iranian role in the region and the sectarian-based support?
It would not have been possible for the Americans to achieve fragmentation among Iraq sects were it not for full coordination with the Iranians. Iranians made Shiitism an identity to replace national identity. To a great extent, this has materialized after the occupation of Iraq and other regions were impacted as well. The only way to overcome this sub-identity issue is by creating a comprehensive national identity and generalizing the notion of citizenship.
How do you see Irans Supreme Guides decision to appoint a wali-e-faqih in Iraq? What is the Iraqi Shiite position on this matter?
It is not possible to view this as independent of the Iranian project for hegemony over Iraq, a matter that has become obvious after the American occupation. The Holy Najaf remained in Iraq for centuries as the religious reference for the Shiite. Yet, its role had become gradually less after the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Tehran to the extent that it disappeared. Iranian rulers are working to take away the Iraqi role in all possible aspects including the religious role. Now, if Iraq manages to restore its Arab role, the Iranian role will be weakened.
And yet, we cannot lump all Iraq Shiites in one basket. Many Shiites are with the Iraqi resistance of the American occupation and against Iranian interference in their own affairs. This group has loyalty to the Arabs. Some political parties were formed on a sectarian basis but those are not the majority of the Shiite. Those people supported the American occupation from the get go and they showed allegiance to the Iranian wali e faqih. After the end of occupation, this group had to make a choice between Iraq or Iran.
The Gulf countries accuse Iran of stirring anarchy, spying, money laundering, drugs trafficking, and manipulating the Arab Shiite. How is it possible to strip Iran from this card?
There is no such magic solution to all of these issues. All we need at this point is to immunize our domestic fronts by spreading national awareness against Iranian intervention and its impact on Arab security. One again, the GCC countries must work together to siege and isolate Iran and this can materialize if the Arab Shiite remains within the national camp. Certainly, this entails understanding with the Shiite regardless of their sectarian affiliations. For this to take place, there is a need to create equality among citizens and in this way Iran will not be able to infiltrate. In other words, the Arab Shiites are not in the Iranian pocket and whoever thinks so is mistaken.
Where are things heading in Syria? Given the outcomes of elections in both Morocco and Egypt, will Islamists have the chance to rule the region?
The situation in Syria is quite complicated. I do not think that the Libyan scenario will be repeated in Syrian given the regional environment. Libya is an artificial entity made up of three provinces whereas Syria has a historical presence in this part of the world. Also the Syrian role in the Arab awakening that started during the second half of the 19th century is unmatched. Its mosaic map does not allow for sectarian politics to prevail. Therefore, the only way out of this crisis is through dialogue that can lead to acknowledging the other based on citizenship. Establishing a national unity with the participation of different political forces to form a transitional government is unavoidable. This new national government has to form a trustworthy legal committee to draft a constitution that acknowledges partisan pluralism, rotation of power, and civil society organizations. Islamists or others may be able to assume power and this should not be a problem as long as all people refer to the ballot.
Do you think that Bahrain has succeeded in bypassing the crisis? What about the Iranian role in both Bahrain and Yemen?
I hope that Bahrain has bypassed the crisis. Yet, it is worth mentioning that in the end the security solution is not a solution. Blocking Irans influence in Bahrain entails guaranteeing the loyalty of a huge layer of the Bahraini people and this can only occur through tolerance and reinforcing national unity.
How do you evaluate the situation in Iraq after the American withdrawal? Will Iraq witness a state of instability in light of domestic political imbalance?
Iraqis should continue their struggle to restore the Arabism of Iraq. It is worth remembering that Iraq was for such a long time a stage of conflict between the Safavid and the Ottoman. Yet in the end Iraq remains Arab. Iraqis will invoke their legacy to inspire them from anew to resist Shuubiyyah. I am pretty confident that Iraq, like a phoenix, will rise again.
The United States is absent but NATO is present. Do you think that NATO will continue with the same orientation to fragment the countries of this region?
NATO will carry on with the same American global scheme but in a worse way. With the American occupation of Iraq, there was a well-defined occupying force. But with NATO there is no acknowledged occupation. The irony is that NATO interference comes under moral and humanitarian cover. Therefore, there is not a legal framework to hold NATO accountable. On top of that, it is a kind of colonialism carried out by a number of countries that compete over spheres of influence. That said, I am full of hope that people are aware and the faithful Arab leadership will undermine this scheme. At this point, I appreciate the role of Saudi Arabia in helping reach a solution for the crisis in Yemen.
© 2010 Arab News
