Dreams of Protest

We lived our lives with the hope that one day we would be able to stage a protest without being arrested or killed. We always hoped to express ourselves freely whether against the government or in support of it. Therefore, freedom of expression is one of the articles in the new Iraqi constitution and staging protests is one of the rights of its citizens. We have always asked the security officials to support the protesters and also demanded the demonstrators to maintain the peacefulness of their demonstrations. We have also asked the security officials to refrain from bypassing the legal limits of their authorities, thus, we have proposed that the anti-riot forces be named special forces to support the rights of all people.

Meanwhile, some people have always attempted to take advantage of this situation to their own benefit as is the case with those who take advantage of public and media freedoms.

All of these should not prevent the officials from supporting the protests and preparing the ground for their freedom of expression. They should just make efforts to prevent riots and conspiracies. Government officials must always be ready to hear people’s complaints and grievances. If people make mistakes, they should be explained and if the officials make mistakes, they should correct themselves. It was exactly for this objective that we stood by the demonstrators when we were not in power. Today that we are in power, we will do the same. We should not respect people’s right to freedom of expression when they are with us and reject it when otherwise.

We should also take into consideration that some of the national political forces use protests to exert pressure on the government. We must tell them that it is their right to use protests as a tool to pressure the government but on the condition that their efforts are legal and peaceful. It means that as long as all these activities are aimed at the president, prime minister, parliament speaker and parliament representatives.

In many countries, protests are staged to make changes based on a legal framework. Demonstrations are the cornerstone of democracy and there is no excuse to stand against it.

Despite the fact that democracy is shaky, we believe that there is no way to prevent it or create obstacles on its path unless we intend to act against it. Protests are the only path to establish democracy. It is obvious that everything has its own costs and one must learn from his mistakes.

The protesters in recent demonstrations had reform demands. This shows that people’s movements were aimed at achieving their civil rights which must be defended.

This experience also indicates that reforms are not limited to the officials’ actions, but it rather shows that people are informed and aware of all issues relating to them. It is also indicative of the fact that they are ready to accept their responsibilities as the officials accept theirs. If these factors are comprehended, then staging protests will be a legitimate right which could be used to direct the issues towards the right path.