Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

Donate

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2021 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Uncategorized

Renewed Iraqi Monarchy Bad Idea Ive

Juan Cole 09/22/2003

Tweet
Share
Reddit
Email
0 Shares

Renewed Iraqi Monarchy a Bad Idea

I’ve heard rumors that the idea of imposing a member of the Hashemite monarchy on Iraq is again making the rounds in Washington. This is a very, very bad idea. Some people think that it will reassure the Sunnis, since the Hashemites are Sunnis. But neither Sunni Arab nationalists nor Sunni Islamists like monarchy. After the impact of Khomeinism, most Shiites are profoundly opposed to the idea. I personally think that it would roil the country and become a focal point of Shiite discontent. (The main reason to bring back a king would be to curb Shiite power as the majority, just as the British did in the first place). Besides, Abdel Rahman Chalabi has already said that Iraqis would make these decisions. Opinion polls suggest that the support for monarchy is less than 25%. It wouldn’t pass a referendum.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page

Primary Sidebar

Support Us

Help keep independent journalism alive and donate online, or make checks payable to:
"Juan Cole"
P. O. Box 4218,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548
(No parcels, please)

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter and have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.


Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2021 All Rights Reserved