Finding a Voice

Re: Region Unimpressed by Balloting in Iraq (3/8/10)

To the Editor:

In America, free elections always seem to be signs of free democracy; however, as Michael Slackman’s article illustrates, very few people in the Middle East view Iraq’s most recent elections as “free.” Even those that were willing to concede that it might be a small step for Iraq are adamant that there is much more that needs to be done. For starters, they insist that occupation by the United States and pressures from Iran reduce the “freedom” involved in the election. While the perspective of various individuals from Jordan and Egypt were interesting to read, I’m much more interested in how the Iraqi’s feel about their election. Clearly, they value their right to vote, despite threats of violence many citizens came out to vote. But how do they feel about American occupation, Iranian pressure, and sectarian violence? These are the voices that need to be heard in more places than the ballot box.