Are the brave Iranians who are standing up to dictators not important? Have 'Free Palestine' protesters read the draft PA draft 'Constitution?' Did they ever know what they were fighting for?
Great question (we know the answer) but i find it fascinating that it purports that it will “protect Arabs AND Christians” when neither the PA or Hamas now protects Christians hmmmm
Exactly, Amy. And also, the PA's "protection" of Palestinians under Sharia is not what so many Palestinians desire. People yearn to be FREE. With few exceptions. The Palestinians who want this risk losing their lives when they speak out. Extreme regimes like Hamas do not want dissent. They don't tolerate it and they don't do due process. The PA draft Constitution just spells out the kind of Sharia-based executive power that the Iran uprising is all about. - M.G.
Just to clarify two things: (1) Are you sure that Iran is considered part of the "Arab nation," rather than Persians? Yes they are Muslim but AFAIK they are not Arab. Therefore, when the constitution draft asserts that "Palestine is part of the Arab homeland, and the Palestinian Arab people are part of the Arab nation," it certainly has layers of meaning that must be unpacked based on how it is phrased in the original Arabic, but I would not be confident that it is meant to include Iran. (2) To be fair, the document states that Sharia is "a primary source for legislation," not THE primary or determinative source of legislation. Article 132 specifies that Sharia courts handle Sharia disputes and personal status. The Constitution draft does not appear to intend the creation of a theocracy (and the PA does not govern the West Bank as a theocracy). At least that is how it reads to me. That said, there are numerous dangerously unacceptable elements in this draft that should be very worrying.
Fair questions, Shani. Although even if one quibbles with the detail I provide in this response, the technical answers do not dispute the overall point about equal rights. Sharia is the primary source of law in this document, which limits rights. One could say that the draft includes language about equal rights, but it's how the 'law' is interpreted. This document vests so much power in the president that he can dissolve parliament and ISSUE LAWS BY DECREE. Further, it declares the PLO as the "sole legitimate representative," which rejects pluralism on its face. With regard to Iran, if one says that technically Iran is not part of an 'Arab Nation,' I won't debate the point. The larger point, and it seems that you easily grasped it, is that the Ayatollah's dictatorial government has been based on Sharia law since 1979. And the 'judiciary,' such as it is, is subject to the final decisions of the Ayatollah. So even if other Arab countries are further along in moving away from rigid theocracy, the PA's draft document demonstrates alignment with the same theocratic autocracy that the Iranian people suffer under. It's the commonality of experience and brand of rule that I'm pointing out -- and where is the uproar from protesters about the real-time threat that Iranians are suffering? And the synonymous question is where is the uproar (protests) for the Gazans who still live under Hamas' brutal rule? Six of one, half a dozen the other. The Palestinians and Iranians who yearn to be free -- the ones who do NOT want to eradicate all Jews from the earth -- deserve the same support for standing up to these murderous, Sharia-imposing regimes. Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful questions! - M.G.
Great question (we know the answer) but i find it fascinating that it purports that it will “protect Arabs AND Christians” when neither the PA or Hamas now protects Christians hmmmm
Exactly, Amy. And also, the PA's "protection" of Palestinians under Sharia is not what so many Palestinians desire. People yearn to be FREE. With few exceptions. The Palestinians who want this risk losing their lives when they speak out. Extreme regimes like Hamas do not want dissent. They don't tolerate it and they don't do due process. The PA draft Constitution just spells out the kind of Sharia-based executive power that the Iran uprising is all about. - M.G.
Just to clarify two things: (1) Are you sure that Iran is considered part of the "Arab nation," rather than Persians? Yes they are Muslim but AFAIK they are not Arab. Therefore, when the constitution draft asserts that "Palestine is part of the Arab homeland, and the Palestinian Arab people are part of the Arab nation," it certainly has layers of meaning that must be unpacked based on how it is phrased in the original Arabic, but I would not be confident that it is meant to include Iran. (2) To be fair, the document states that Sharia is "a primary source for legislation," not THE primary or determinative source of legislation. Article 132 specifies that Sharia courts handle Sharia disputes and personal status. The Constitution draft does not appear to intend the creation of a theocracy (and the PA does not govern the West Bank as a theocracy). At least that is how it reads to me. That said, there are numerous dangerously unacceptable elements in this draft that should be very worrying.
Fair questions, Shani. Although even if one quibbles with the detail I provide in this response, the technical answers do not dispute the overall point about equal rights. Sharia is the primary source of law in this document, which limits rights. One could say that the draft includes language about equal rights, but it's how the 'law' is interpreted. This document vests so much power in the president that he can dissolve parliament and ISSUE LAWS BY DECREE. Further, it declares the PLO as the "sole legitimate representative," which rejects pluralism on its face. With regard to Iran, if one says that technically Iran is not part of an 'Arab Nation,' I won't debate the point. The larger point, and it seems that you easily grasped it, is that the Ayatollah's dictatorial government has been based on Sharia law since 1979. And the 'judiciary,' such as it is, is subject to the final decisions of the Ayatollah. So even if other Arab countries are further along in moving away from rigid theocracy, the PA's draft document demonstrates alignment with the same theocratic autocracy that the Iranian people suffer under. It's the commonality of experience and brand of rule that I'm pointing out -- and where is the uproar from protesters about the real-time threat that Iranians are suffering? And the synonymous question is where is the uproar (protests) for the Gazans who still live under Hamas' brutal rule? Six of one, half a dozen the other. The Palestinians and Iranians who yearn to be free -- the ones who do NOT want to eradicate all Jews from the earth -- deserve the same support for standing up to these murderous, Sharia-imposing regimes. Thanks for reading and for your thoughtful questions! - M.G.
Shani, I also felt a dissonance at inclusion of Iran in the Arab Nation. Also appreciate your clarification of extent of theocracy.
That said, the erasure of Jewish identity of Jerusalem shows real malice.
No war with Iran!