Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 December 2003 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2003

IRAQ

► Continued from Page 1 The .'{7-vt-iir rule of the lia(|i royal I’ainilv marked the most peaceful and prosperous era of the nation's relatively short his tory. But (ieneial Karim Abdul Kasim, the ruler w ho owrthrew Faisal, ushered iu a violent period of corruption and reckless wars that devastated Iraqi families and drained oil money that could have been used for infrastructure and social improvements. Kasim was followed by a succession of four military regimes

that became worse with each coup, ending with Saddam Ilussein. I’rinee Sharif Ah bin I lussein, the current head of the royal house of I rat), is leading a movement to restwre a constitutional monarchy in his homeland, lie would like to see American admi nisi rati >rs at least give the I raqi people an opportunity to vote in a referendum for a constitutional monarchy if they w ant one. Sharif says no government, even a regime supporting him,

should be imposed by foreign powers. "I think what the Americans are continuing to do is trying to interfere in Iraq's internal politics by directly funding political parties, by appointing them to positions of power, and this policy h;is failed," Sharif said in a recent interview . “I think the Americans should allow the Iraqi people to choose." I believe Sharif is perhaps the only individual of influence in Iraq w ho can bring together opposing

Sunni and Shiite Muslims, traditional tribal leaders and urban technocrats and Kurds in the north. In addition, his family, the Hashemites, are direct descendents of Hashem, a forebear of the Prophet Muhammad. This should be pleasing to all Muslims in a country where Sunnis and Shiites have competed for power. Among those supporting Sharif include Iraqi writer Najdat Fathi Safw at, Princeton University professor Bernard Lewis and, amaz-

ingly, former CIA director James Woolsey. Sharif, a 48-year-old investment banker who grew up in London, is the younger first cousin of King Faisal II. His parents were the only members of the Iraqi royal family to escape from the palace in 1958. In June, Sharif and his family returned to Baghdad aboard a jet loaded with medical supplies for the city’s overwhelmed hospitals. He has spent time visiting Iraqis from all walks of life. He’s not

campaigning, but simply enjoying the chance to come home after living in exile since the age of 2. Sharif would like to rule as a constitutional monarch, or one who simply serves as a unifying symbol for all sectors of Iraqi society to rally around. Under constitutional monarchies, citizens have the option of electing those who actually operate the nuts and bolts of government, but also enjoy the blessing of having an objective figure to trust during times of bitter disagreement among elected officials.

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History has proven time and time again that constitutional monarchies, such as those found in Great Britain, Spain, Japan and Morocco, have functioned mostly well in times of political and social upheavals. King Juan Carlos of Spain, for example, played a key role in converting his homeland from fascism to democracy after the death of General Francisco Franco in 1975. After decades of communist mismanagement, the exiled King Simeon II of Bulgaria was welcomed back and quickly elected prime minister in 2001. After 28 years in exile. King Zahir Shah returned to Afghanistan in 2001 after the fall of the Taliban and is helping that nation’s legislative assembly implement fresh policies. One example of Iraq’s potential progess can be found in Japan, another nation that found itself under/American occupation, at the end of World War II. General Douglas MacArthur and other American administrators had sense enough to realize that abolishing the beloved chrysanthemum dynasty could possibly throw the once stable Japanese society into a violent abyss in which nationalists, communists, monarchists and democrats fought for power. Helped in no small part by being able to use Emperor Hirohito as a symbol of pride and unity, successive Japanese governments brought the country from a defeat and possible oblivion to becoming an economic powerhouse during the cash and carry 1980s. Given his history as a diplomatic representative of the Iraqi National Congress movement, it is safe to say that Sharif will work well with Western powers, but refrain from becoming a puppet ruler like the authoritarian Shah of Iran or Egypt’s late playboy King Farouk. Sharif will most likely pursue peaceful relations with Israel, while maintainingthe ability to develop warm relations with both moderate Islamic governments in Egypt and Algeria, as well as more radical Arab regimes in Libya and Syria. His presence as king of Iraq will not only bring peace inside the nation itself, but also provide a real sense of stability for the entire Middle East region. Policies ■ We reserve the right to edit, properly classify, cancel or decline any ad. ■ We will not knowingly accept advertising that discriminates on the basis of sex, age, religion, race, national origin or physical disability. ■ Advertising of $100 or less per issue to be paid in advance. ■ Other advertising will be subject to credit approval. ■ Standard payment terms-Net 10 days.

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