If Iraq is successfully to democratize and an inclusive democratic culture is to emerge, the Iraqi state must be reconstituted as a federal and strongly liberal system and thoroughly demilitarized.
About the Author
Kanan Makiyais senior fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, where he is emeritus professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. His books include Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq (1989) and Fi Al-Qaswa [On Cruelty] (in Arabic, 2021).
Civic education can enhance democratic values and participation among adults in young democracies, but the training must be frequent and participatory. Otherwise adult civic education may not be worth doing.
