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"... forcing them to live by rules laid out in a 1000 year old scripture.."? This is just wrong. Iraq wasn't a fundamentalist Islamic state deriving its power from the Koran and its related traditions. It was a brutal dictatorship, funded by oil (nothing ancient about that) and set-up by western nations. Asserting that "centuries of tradition has given weight to the mindset" resulting in their oppression isn't saying anything important - this is a gross over-simplification. No doubt Islamic traditions have a part to play in mindsets of nations where Islam predominates. I'm sure that Christian tradition has been a major influence in the West (it certainly influenced King John during his crusades, as Islam influenced Saladin). Iraq was not living in "serfdom", any more than Germany was under the Nazis. Despite Germany's great contribution to western culture in the 18th and 19th centuries, it still managed to produce Hitler in the 20th century. Yes there is a chance now for Iraq to build a society based on democratic values (that is not the same thing as "move into the 21st century"). But there is also a good chance that they will end up with a fundamentalist Islamic rule that is every bit as oppressive as the secular Baathis Party. Then you might have an argument about the past influence on state of Iraq. I am wondering whether you also thought nothing of the Taliban's destruction of the 5,000 year old Buddhas in Afghanistan. Or was that to be thought of as moving forward from a 5,000 year old mindset to a 1,000 year old mindset, and therefore a least a step in the right direction, if not not far enough?
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