The once disorganized college students of Iraq chanting in the streets now have an opportunity to be a mature political party of reformation.
As the youthful Iraqi protesters continue to march into their fifth month of demonstrations against government abandonment, gender oppression, Iran’s malign activities, corruption and mass suffering, they have created a political movement that already has resulted in the prime minister and parliament members resigning their positions.
This new generation is now looking to shape the future of Iraqi politics. What started as college students protesting their limited opportunities and the poor conditions of their country has now spawned a new direction in the political sector.
Rather than merely demonstrating, these young Iraqis are now looking at how to create a less corrupt system that provides all Iraqis, not just corrupt career politicians, the power and the opportunity to shape the destiny of their nation.
Since October 2019, there have been an ever-increasing series of protests throughout Iraq. The origin of these protests were in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, and they have been met with tremendous resistance from pro-Iranian militias. These youthful groups of protesters are not mere gaggles of people expressing frustrations and dissatisfaction regarding Iran’s influence, but have earned the status of an organized element of modern Iraqi society.
These are now unified voices whose messages are calculated and decisive about what they want Iraq to become. As the militias and other Iranian proxy factions realized that violence could not quell the protesters’ anger, pro-Iranian Iraqi parliament members attempted to utilize corrupted religious leaders to lambast the young Iraqi women for sharing their voices.
These so-called religious leaders suggest that even to share their voices outside of their homes is a vulgar act in the eyes of God – a suggestion unsupported by any serious religious beliefs. They have also suggested that men and women should not be seen in the protest tents together as this is “indecent,” and “a woman should be conservative before man.”
Ironically, the women’s presence and voices among the protestors have in many ways protected members of the protest movement. While a mother’s power to protect her family derives from her instinctual fear of predators, the Iranian-backed militia fear international pressure and Iraqi unity if further violence impacts the women of this movement.
When the Iraqi protesters were asked to identify or name their leader, some replied, “Our martyrs are our leaders.” Another replied, “Awareness is our leader,” explaining that the protests will never stop until everyone sees what is happening inside Iraq. This is how they honor those who have fallen for such a worthy cause: to make real changes in furtherance of a hopeful future for Iraq.
This organized group of youthful protesters has made it clear that every attack, and each life taken, will not discourage their noble purpose. To the contrary, these attacks will strengthen their resolve.
This new generation is much different than prior generations of Iraqis. The last generation lived in fear for nearly three decades during the era of Saddam’s Ba’ath Party. That generation was forced to accept poor conditions, mistreatment, unfair wages and lack of opportunities. In contrast, this new generation of men and women epitomize the old adage, “I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.”
It is now clear that you cannot kill this idea with bullets and knives — this grassroots movement of youthful Iraqis is ready to begin the next chapter in Iraq or die trying.
These once-disorganized college students have created an opportunity to rebuild Iraq back to its former glory as a non-sectarian democracy: a country that all the Middle East can once again admire. The torch has been passed, and now it’s time to witness this political movement go on to carry the flame of democracy and freedom for all the world to see.
Mrs. Alsaadi is Co-founder, Executive Vice President, and Chief Strategy Officer for PACEM Solutions International LLC.