The Shias were totally and completely repressed and oppressed under saddam. You only had to actually go into where Shias lived in Iraq to see that. Of course Shias willing to be secular could get a few crumbs thrown their way occasionally. Now isn't that a great and fair society. Yep, just like the Shias who are the majority in Lebanon were totally ruled by small minority of Christians, and Sunnis as only a Christian could be Premier and only a Sunni Vice Premier. The Shia majority had nothing --- not even crumbs. Now I wonder why a civil war was needed to level the playing field in Lebanon, folks? In Iraq a civil war may have been averted with the results of the elections that have given the Shias their rights. --- Altaf Bhimji <altafb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > There is some revisionism tales going about - that > say that Shias > were not oppressed under Saddam (similar to the > garbage being floated > that the "shah" was OK after all...) > > the storyline goes like this: > > Baathists and Saddam (and the "Shah") were secular > - therefore in > his regime he had Sunnis Shias and Christians - > therefore he was > better than having some sort of a possible Islam > based govt. in Iraq > - that would, of-course, be majority Shi'a --- since > they are the > majority there... > > But majority rule - is of-course very problematic, > because that would > mean the minority, that the US could manipulate, > would never remain > in power for very long (if ever)... Lebanon is an > example where the > colonialists institute a system where the majority > could not rule... > and it is kept artificially divided... > > Altaf > > > > On May 27, 2006, at 7:52 PM, L. Mirza wrote: > > > > > > I don't recall hearing you had ever been to Iraq. > I > > have and the Shias were completely oppressed, the > only > > slums in Baghdad were where the Shias lived, and > while > > all of the Central and Northern Iraq were well > > developed, had good water supplies and very good > > roads, that changes drastically once you drive > south > > in Iraq. You could tell exactly where the southern > > Iraqi dividing line was by the way the super four > lane > > each way highway, suddenly turned into a one lane > > dusty, pot-holed road. In the south all the cities > > were crumbling, streets were in poor shape and > > services such as water and electricity were > minimal. > > Unlike central Iraq where everything was rebuilt > from > > the Gulf war, just 9 months earlier, nothing in > the > > south had been rebuilt since 1988 when the Iran > Iraq > > war ended, let alone the the 1991 Gulf war. > > > > Are you saying Richard, that an oppressed majority > can > > not now be allowed to rule as a majority in their > own > > country? > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > --------------------~--> > Protect your PC from spy ware with award winning > anti spy technology. It's free. > http://us.click.yahoo.com/97bhrC/LGxNAA/yQLSAA/xYTolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > New Pacifica Working Group > http://www.egroups.com/group/NewPacifica > 'Save Our Stations!' > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > NewPacifica-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > > > > Loraine = = = = = = = = = = = Read "Internment Camps of Bangladesh," by Loraine Mirza Published by Crescent International Newspapers, Inc. 300 Steelcase Road West, Unit 8, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 2W2 "The story of a long-suffering people told with compassion and sensitivity. All who care for justice must read this book. Loraine Mirza, an American Muslim print and broadcast journalist, has written this remarkable account of the 'Stranded Pakistanis,' trapped in internment camps in Bangladesh since 1972." (Zafar Bangash, Director of Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought.) For more information: e-mail: haq_for_u@xxxxxxxxxxx info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx crescent@xxxxxxxxxxxx crescent.uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Visit web sites: www.statelesspeopleinbangladesh.net www.strandedpakistanis.com www.OBATHelpers.org www.muslimedia.com www.ihrc.org ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> You can search right from your browser? It's easy and it's free. See how. http://us.click.yahoo.com/_7bhrC/NGxNAA/yQLSAA/xYTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> New Pacifica Working Group http://www.egroups.com/group/NewPacifica 'Save Our Stations!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewPacifica/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: NewPacifica-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/