Iraqi expatriate gains hope from voter turnout
Published Feb. 1, 2005
Two weeks ago, Ali Hussam, his wife and several other Iraqi expatriates traveled to St. Louis to register to vote in their country's first democratic election. But Hussam and his family had to turn back because of a winter storm that hit Chicago.
Although he said he was heartbroken, Hussam, the School of Medicine's director of research and education support, said he was excited about the high voter turnout in Iraq, despite continuing terrorist attacks.
"One of my relatives lives in the Green Zone and she wrote to me saying they were going to the polls among the attacks and bullets because they are rejoiced to be able to vote," Hussam said. "I can only imagine the turnout at the polls if there had been no threats or danger."
Hussam, who left Iraq in 1979 and moved to the United States in 1986, said he supported the U.S. invasion of his home country.
"I'm a very peaceful person, and death under Saddam was so widespread and brutal that the deaths caused by the United States to liberate Iraq does not come close," he said.
Cooper Drury, assistant professor of political science, said though the voter turnout was high, the turnout could have been influenced by certain factors. New democracies generally have higher voter turnout, Drury said, and the natural human response to rise up against threats ' such as those from insurgents ' could have influenced Iraqis to vote.
Hussam said the success of Iraq's first election proves his country wants democracy and freedom. He said he believes the basic goals of prosperity, happiness and freedom will triumph over any division based on religion or ethnicity.
"I'm not very worried about the Sunnis because many of them did vote," he said. "My mother-in-law is Sunni and she got out to vote. Once the Sunnis saw people step out of their homes and go to the polls without fear, they began to leave their homes and vote, too."
Michael Grinfeld, an associate professor of journalism, said he does not believe one election comes close to creating a democracy. Though many media reports say most Iraqi citizens are happy about the elections, he said he is worried that the country is still divided.
"Democracy emerges when the will of the people becomes a political force," Grinfeld said. "Most of the people who were happy with the elections seem to be Shiite, while the Sunnis did not heavily participate in the election and the Kurds seem to still have preserved their autonomy despite the war."
Drury said the results of the election affect America's worldwide image, and the elections would influence people in Arab-speaking countries.
"It shows democracy can proceed in Arab and Muslim countries and that when people are given the opportunity, they will go out and vote," Drury said. "It brings hope to people in dictatorships but also make dictatorships worry about their future."
Hussam said he hopes the United States will stay in Iraq long enough to train the Iraqi troops and form a functioning government.
"The U.S. must remain in Iraq simply because there are terrorists all over the world wanting to destroy the newly formed democracy," Hussam said. "They want to hurt the U.S. and hurt democracy all over the world."