Many Iraqis in this country support the
coalition forces’ actions in Iraq
(ABACA/EMPICS)
What do Iraqis think?
Fear
Iraqis are still scared for their lives. An estimated 100,000
civilians and 1,500 US troops have died in Iraq since the invasion.
In February alone, nearly 600 Iraqis were killed. ‘You leave home
in morning, not knowing if you will come back by the end of the
day,’ says Iraqi exile in London, Haifa Zangana, whose family
still lives in Iraq. Most Iraqis want the occupation to end. They
fear that unless foreign troops leave, the violence will continue.
Freedom
Many Iraqis are happy that Saddam’s rule is over, especially
the deeply religious Shia Muslims who make up the majority of
Iraq’s population. They were badly treated under Saddam, whose
regime mainly favoured Sunni Muslims (Saddam was a Sunni).
Iraq’s Kurdish population has mixed feelings about the fall
of Saddam. They also suffered terribly under his rule. More than
100,000 were killed by Saddam’s troops in the 1980s. But since
1991, they have been protected by UK and US troops, and until
recently had their own parliament. Many Kurds want an independent
state.
In January, Iraq had its most democratic elections in decades.
The Shias are now the most powerful group in Iraq. They won almost
half the seats in the new national assembly. The Kurds also did
well – they got a quarter of the votes. But they are worried about
how they will share power with the Shias, and if they will keep
control of their resources.
Very few Sunni Muslims voted. Many were threatened with violence,
even from their own communities. Others did not accept the elections.
Well-being
Ordinary Iraqis now want to know when the better life promised
by the West will materialise. More than half the population are
unemployed, 25% cannot afford to buy their own food, and 27% of
children under five are malnourished. There’s also a lack of medicine,
power and water in many areas. Many women are confined to their
homes and some students are still not going to school because
they fear the violence on the streets. |
