The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday, Jan. 5:

With the escalating violence in Iraq it is sometimes difficult to discern whether the insurgent groups are acting with a single, overarching political purpose, or simply to thwart what they see as an occupying force. But as the Jan. 30 elections draw closer, and the violence increases, one message delivered by many of the militants also grows clear: If you vote, you risk death.

The insurgents have proven chillingly proficient at killing. They target not just coalition soldiers, but also Iraqi police and national guardsmen, humanitarian workers and civilians who work for the coalition. They’ve blithely slaughtered hundreds of innocent bystanders. Recently, Ali al-Haidari, the governor of Baghdad province, was gunned down. The militant group led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility.

The insurgents have done their best to stir hatred and foment civil war. They have spread fear with barbaric acts of violence. But they have not succeeded, and should not succeed, in their primary goal: derailing the election and squelching Iraq’s chance at democracy.

Why do the terrorists fear democracy? In a remarkable statement recently, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army and two other insurgent groups dropped all the self-serving double-talk and self-righteous excuses for slaughtering innocents. They spelled out their fear and hatred – and ignorance – of democracy. They made clear that their campaign is not simply to thwart American interests – it is to thwart the Iraqi people.

“Democracy is a Greek word meaning the rule of the people, which means that the people do what they see fit,” the statement said. “This concept is considered apostasy and defies the belief in one God – Muslims’ doctrine.”

The people will do what they see fit. That, to the insurgents, is the great danger.

There is no point in arguing theology with fanatics who find in holy books the rationale to kill by the thousands. No amount of reasoning will change their twisted minds, no logic will sway them from their warped beliefs about what they believe their religion demands. Suffice to say that Islam and democracy can flourish, side by side, as neighboring Turkey demonstrates.

There’s intense pressure now to postpone the election and more Iraqi officials may be wavering on the Jan. 30 date.

But it’s hard to see delaying the election as anything but a stunning victory for terrorists. Far from stanching the violence, it would likely encourage even more. It is also difficult to figure how much would be gained by a few weeks’ delay, as is being discussed by some.

Some Sunni Muslim clerics have called for an election boycott and Iraq’s largest Sunni political party has pulled out of the race, citing poor security. Encouraging more Sunni participation is crucial. But absent a commitment of tens of thousands of fresh troops to immediately reinforce security, there’s little reason to postpone the elections. The longer they’re delayed, the longer Iraq lacks a new constitution and a fully legitimate government elected by the people.

Those who hope to forestall the election grow increasingly desperate. Many hope for a bleak future in which hard-line mullahs rule and Iraq becomes a country, like Iran, catapulted into a dark age of repression and fear.

But the attacks can’t dampen the growing enthusiasm for the election in wide swaths of the country. There are indications that the number of Iraqis making sure that they are properly registered to vote has surged recently, according to the Washington Post. “We are very optimistic,” a top Iraqi election official told the Post.

At personal risk, millions will likely turn out at the end of January. The world will once again witness the power of democracy, a power that cannot be extinguished by violence. Democracy has taken root in Afghanistan. It’s flowering in Ukraine. And it will soon be embraced by millions of Iraqis. They will defy all-too-vivid death threats to do what they see fit: They will vote.

Copy the Story Link