How did Iraq compare to other Arabic speaking countries as far as

[Bandit]

personal freedom? Also how were women treated compared to say Kuwait or Saudi Arabia? It was my impression that Iraq was the most westernized of all Arabic speaking countries and women wore western dress and held many positions of authority. Is it going to be a better place for it's citizens under Islamic law or worse? If Democracy is allowed there is no doubt that the people will vote for Islamic rule.

[Aidoneus]

1. that depends on the question of social/economic or political well-being

politics was ugly, as it had been since the times of Britain's puppet dictator of the country.

As far as social freedoms go (by "freedoms", I mean the racist Eurocentric view that what we consider to be "free" is what is universally considered as such, but I digress), it was head and shoulders above the rest, topped only by perhaps Syria. The difference is Syria doesn't have the same strong confessional movements like Iraq did and does (with the notable exception of the Ikhwan, which was essentially broken in the massacre at Hammah), so the state and people have a much freer hand in acting on social matters that may be classed as obscene in Riyadh or Kuwait.

Before the wars, it was economically well off across the board due to the struggles of strong leftist movements in the past, though I'm not sure how it compared to some of the less-populated oil-based economies like in the Gulf.

[eissa]

2. No comparison

to Saudi or other gulf countries -- women in Iraq, like Syria and Lebanon, enjoyed the same freedoms as men. Don't get me wrong; it was and remains a male-dominated society. But women were free to wear what they wanted, study what they wanted, and hold many high positions.

I think most Americans would be utterly shocked if they were to catch a glimpse of Syrian or Lebanese television. The outfits many women wear would put Britney to shame. I never understood how the most secular and "westernized" countries in the Middle East are our worst enemies, while oppressive regimes like Saudi and Kuwait remain our allies.

[LoneStarLiberal]

3. There's a lot up for debate in re the imposition of sharia

Assumptions:

Election of a moderate Shia theocracy.

My impression, holding the above assumption true, is that you wouldn't be moving so much Saddam Iraq ahead of Shia Iraq or vice versa, but more of a horizontal movement.

Personal freedoms would increase across the board but there should be some expectation that women will take a step back from the degree of rights they enjoyed under the Hussein government.

That being said, women will also live with a greatly reduced threat of being arbitrarily jailed or executed for disagreeing with the government or being related or connected with someone who does. This applies more to all Iraqis instead of being gender-specific.

Like with word of God preached and adhered to in our own moderate churches versus our scarier fundamentalist churches, a great deal of the impact of Islamic law will depend on what kind of Islamists are elected.

The one thing nearly all political Islamists I am aware of in Iraq are in favor of is the imposition of Sharia.

[Submariner]

4. I just spent December and January

in the U.A.E. and Qatar, and they appear to me to be the most westernized. Abu Dhabi, and especially Dubai, could rival any U.S. city relative to modernization. Many of the women wear Burk ha, but the men don't seem to treat them as trash or degrade them in public. That may be because all the native Arabs of those 2 countries, including women, are so filthy rich from the oil/gas revenues that they have little to worry about. They are not democracies, but their systems allow many liberties and the people were extremely friendly and courteous.

I saw shopping malls that would make the U.S. best look like mini-malls, and they were full of Arab women in traditional or western dress, it is their choice. Although I heard the wails for daily prayers over the loudspeakers, I didn't see any kind of fervent reverence that led me to believe that they could escalate to the fanaticism we see in the suicide bomber types.

[sharkbait2]

5. Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, UAE and Qatar

... are the most westernized arabic speaking countries... Lebanon is the most Democratic and Tunisia is the most economically diversified with a soft dictatorship/single ruling party... UAE, Qatar and Morocco are all soft monarchies.

None of the above bear any resemblance to Iraq under Saddam even though Iraqi people are relatively westernized.

[DinahMoeHum]

6. It is no surprise to me that in the countries mentioned above. . .

higher education (especially college) is a high priority for both men and women, and that their governments encourage it.

:think: