Civil Society Organizations:

“Yes for Federal Iraq, No for Sectarian Partitioning”

         Last week’s Congress non-binding amendment calls for partitioning of Iraq into three federals divided along ethnic and sectarian lines, created a public and official turmoil in Iraq, refusing any appalling impose on Iraq’s domestic affairs, sovereignty and unity,

         The principle of partitioning Iraq as it states in the call context will not lead to stability and security, nor will it solve the military crisis of the occupying force, on the contrary it will lead to more violence and sectarian violence, while escalating IDPs crisis, sabotaging economical, cultural, and social infrastructure, leading to tearing the national unity of the country apart, with violence taking other dimensions reflecting on neighboring countries to Iraq and the whole middle east region,  

         Hence, the representatives of civil society of NGOs, cultural institutions, and trade unions have reached a consensus to stand against such violations against international law, diplomatic norms, and UN Security Council resolution (1546), confirming sovereignty and unity of Iraq, contradicting efforts to step up the transitional process to an Iraq that is democratic, pluralistic, and federal, supported by freedoms, social justice and equality,

         Iraq will always be exposed to regional and international interference, unless Iraqi government and State Institutions and political entities mobilize towards building trust and national reconciliation amongst political leaders, healing social and cultural and educational traumas, freeing Iraq from sectarian allotment policy, and corruption, which dominate state’s institutions,

         Civil society Organizations’ representatives acting in Iraq call upon international organizations, and  UN Secretary General, and Arab League for solidarity with our people’s sovereignty, political and economical independence, and liberation from foreign pressure to draw Iraq future and building its democratic institutions. The political, social, and educational powers are called to join efforts to prevail rule of law, respect of human rights and general freedoms, under citizenship and integrity criteria, far from sectarian discrimination and narrow political parties’ views,

Finally, civil society organizations, signing this call, will continue working and lobbying for Iraq’s freedom, independence and sovereignty, by promoting  culture of tolerance, coexistence, and national unity, towards a stable, socially secured and progressed Iraq, free of terror, tyranny, fear and appalling interference in it’s affairs,

Long live Iraq, Free and Independent

Baghdad, October 8^th, 2007