How to stop the deterioration of Iraq’s society

When discussing Iraq and its history, non-Iraqis around the world assume that a country that once was the cradle of civilizations and a center of culture, arts and intellectual life must be a model of how civilized, educated and cultured society should be.

Most people would agree that in the first half of the 20th century, modern Iraq was a destination for Arabs seeking knowledge and civilizational progress.

Instead of making positive cultural developments to enable the younger generation to lead their country toward freedom and a democracy that suits Middle Eastern society, Iraq has become a symbol of backwardness, murder and mental illness. A patriarchal society par excellence silences those who object and kills ambitions using pretext of disgrace and honor.

The phenomenon of honor killing has become part of daily life throughout the country, starting in Kurdistan and continuing all the way south to Basra. Hundreds of teenage girls and women have been murdered at the hands of their fathers, brothers and relatives so the murderers can prove to themselves that they are real men — whatever that term symbolizes in their imagination.

In early February, a father from the Diwaniyah province in central Iraq murdered his daughter when she returned from a long trip to the Turkish city of Istanbul. Most likely, the well-known Iraqi blogger Tiba Al-Ali was looking at her father’s face as he suffocated her to death with his own hands, the very same hands that carried her when she was a young girl.

Evidence indicates that a few days before her murder, the blogger went to the Iraqi community police to seek protection from her family’s aggressive behavior. Audio recordings showed that Tiba Al-Ali had decided to live in Istanbul to end the sexual abuse her brother constantly exposed her to. Worse, both parents knew what she was going through but preferred to remain silent.

Laws grant reduced sentences to perpetrators of such crimes. Article 409 of the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969 specifies the penalty for honor killing as a maximum of three years’ imprisonment.

The failure to amend this law, which would significantly reduce the spread of honor killings, lies with the Iraqi legislators. However, the majority of parliament represents Islamist parties, and this has led to the suspension of a domestic violence bill inside the House of Representatives due to the lack of agreement on its provisions.

When a society deteriorates intellectually, it paves the way for masculine, tribal and ignorant ideas to dominate it with a malicious justification for any action males take.

No justification exists for whitewashing violence against women or preventing the offender from being prosecuted for premeditated murder, regardless of the victim’s gender.

This is only one factor in a series of factors that has produced a backward society and a lack of humanity in Iraq.

Tribal conflicts are dominating Iraq with the participation of a large number of uneducated militia members who control the streets and execute justice in their way. The political and economic instability, uncontrolled weapons, the increased effect of tribal laws and the rise of powerful clerics threaten civil peace. Tribes do not consider the law when it comes to settling scores in ancient bloody ways.

During armed tribal confrontations, clan members use light, medium and heavy weapons, including bombs, without involving the security authorities, which usually do not interfere in stopping the dangerous clashes and limiting their severe damage.

The signs of cultural decline are seen in all aspects of life. During the 1950s, Iraq launched the first television station in the Middle East region and included female singers, artists and actresses. Until the mid-1980s, middle-class Baghdadi families frequented social clubs and mixed swimming pools without fear of physical punishment or sexual harassment.

In short, the bloody political history in Iraq and the succession of totalitarian and ideological regimes have led to an incomprehensible societal mixture that will take generations to change.

The first phase starts with a full comprehension of the meaning of a civil and institutional state and the realization that the calls to separate religion from power were meant to protect religions from the greed of individuals.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi