Why Iraq?

           I am deeply saddened by the complete lawlessness of Iraq, a country that was the cradle of  great civilizations.The history  lessons of  Messopotamian and Babylonian civilizations often replay in my mind while thinking of Iraq.Why Iraq was attacked repeatedly? Does history repeat itself? Iraq was a battle ground for invadors,emperors and exploiters in the past, she was brutally destroyed by army of  Chenghis Khan,later the savage emperor Timur etc, but all the time she had arisen from her ashes like a phoenix bird.

        Why Iraq? Again when we have so many dictators including US alley Saudi Arabia which was the biggest exporter of Islamic fanatism, around the world, why USA had chosen Iraq to invade? Why her population are so destined to live as victims of someone’s war? It might be an irony that middle east is birth place of enlightened souls/religions and battle field of brutal wars, look like both divine and demon co-exist in this part of the world.

       The gory stories coming out from Iraq and Syria(the part of Syria which is under control of ISIS is boardering Iraq) let me down  and make my heart sink a million times.One of my friends in Delhi who had studied in Iraq in the eighties, told me  how advanced the country was then and how educated and liberated the women were there, and computer was pretty common those days in Iraq. I do not know why it happens but looks like she has been consumed by a viscious cycle of violence. Though the perpetrators may fight for a million make up reasons, the real reason is perhaps greed, the mother of all wars. All wars are fought for power and money and I am sure this ISIS is using religion as a mask to brain wash the youth as it is the effective tool on emotionally vulnerable youth. The heads of ISIS were members of former dictator Saddam’s govt and his Bath party speak volumes about the real objective of advancing their influence on the desert land.

      There are people who quote from Quran to establish their point that it advocates murder of non believers, but as I hardly read it, I do not want to comment on that.My Muslim friend in Delhi says that a ‘True Muslim would never rape a girl/woman,’ and about the brutalities of ISIS he would say ‘Woh bilkul pagal hain(they are completely crazy) and Quran never said so’

      There were times I believed that Islam was part of the problem,perhaps it is not Islam, but dark aspect of humanity. In India people have a strong anti-Islam feeling ingrained in them due to our history of Islamic invasions and terrorism. But though India is the second largest Muslim population in the world very few Muslims here sympathise with ISIS, the reasons can be varied, ISIS seems to appeal the hardened desert people where the socio/political atmosphere are quite different, they are used to dictatorship,oppression and exploitation where as Indians are brought up in a multi cultural,mutli lingual,multi religious society and are hardly experienced dictatorship.

        There is conflict of interest the way USA/West deal with other part of world, actually what on earth made US believe that installing a Shia regime in Sunni majority Iraq would end the problem where Sunni-Shia fight is as old as Islamic history. Now US leaves Iraq to  their fate after having messed up with the country, perhaps with a relief that enemy is not in their backyard.

       World seems very insane, often we fail to ask relevant questions as who weaponises ISIS? Who makes and sells these weapons?Who finance them?Like those who use weapons those who make and sell are equally responsible for making this world a bad place. I may sound an idealist, but  why do we need huge weapons if not promote war and destruction?So we  all  either directly or indirectly are responsible in one way or other to this sorry state of planet earth.

         Having said that,I really hope some sane voice from Islam would come forward to save their young from falling prey of the viscious designs of ISIS and my prayers for Iraq(and Syria) to rise from her ashes with all her past glories and prosperity.