Intolerance and Liberal Democracy in Post 2003 Iraq

Sammanfattning: Much literature on the topic of democratization in post 2003 Iraq claims that cultural factors have impeded a process of effective and sustained democratic development in the country. In many instances however, these claims are very general and fail to specify and theoretically defend how exactly, cultural facets relating to attitudes and behavior such as lacking religious tolerance, have functioned as variables conducive toward obstructing a process of democratization in the country. For the sake of specificity in terms of the correlation between culture and failed democracy in Iraq, the objective of this investigation has been to explore intolerance, or more specifically religious intolerance in Iraqi society since 2003 as found, and theoretically assess via theory of democratic political culture, its implications upon components of liberal democracy. This entailed three systematic stages facilitating theoretically grounded results. First, the identification of intolerance in Iraqi society via actions or behavior reflecting discrimination as a proxy indicator of the former. Second, an assessment of these findings in terms of their implications upon liberal democracy components. And lastly, subjection of democratic political culture theory to those liberal democracy implications observed and discussed in the prior stage. What was found, is Iraqi social intolerance to a greater or lesser extent acting as a variable conducive toward obstructing liberal democracy. This is illustrated by the direct negative implications and effects upon liberal democracy components, resulting from a prevalence of discrimination between Sunnis and Shia Muslims as both a product, and likewise a reflection of religious intolerance in Iraq.