Many of our communists do not know how to deal with people who are
religious, especially from the Muslim minorities and the organisations of
Muslim minorities, even if they are progressive, even if they work hard for
the causes of dalits, adivasis, anti-nuclear issues, anti-communal issues
and a number of other issues which the communists do not usually enter.
Many of my women friends find it difficult to deal with a woman in purdah
even if that woman has a strong woman oriented voice within. Now, here is a
communist and a woman's activist who is elected in Iraq. The quesstion is:
Is it logical that upper caste communism can be accepted, but purdah
communism can not be accepted?
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/female-communist-mp-heart-iraqs-holiest-city-1374412216

First female Communist elected in Iraq's holiest city calls for 'social
justice'#IraqVote <http://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/iraqvote>

Victory of Sadrist-Communist alliance in Iraq's elections has challenged
assumptions about country's politics
Suhad al-Khateeb speaks at a recent rally (Facebook)
[image: Alex MacDonald's picture]
<http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/alex-macdonald>
Alex MacDonald <http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/alex-macdonald>
Mustafa Abu Sneineh <http://www.middleeasteye.net/users/mustafa-abu-sneineh>
Wednesday 16 May 2018 02:43 UTC
Last update:
Wednesday 16 May 2018 12:36 UTC
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Topics:
IraqVote <http://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/iraqvote>
Tags:
Suhad al-Khateeb <http://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/suhad-al-khateeb>,
Communist <http://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/communist>, Najaf
<http://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/najaf-1496562544>, shia
<http://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/shia>, Sadr
<http://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/sadr>, Sairoun
<http://www.middleeasteye.net/tags/sairoun>
Show comments
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*BAGHDAD* - Iraqis appear to have broken with the political establishment
in response to what they see as rampant corruption and incompetence.

The biggest winner in Saturday's elections was the boycott movement, which
was evident after it emerged that only 44.5 percent of eligible voters went
to the polls.

But those who did vote overwhelmingly cast their ballot for the Sairoun
Alliance, a coalition of supporters of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and
the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP), as well as the smaller Iraqi Republican
Party.

Not many could have predicted the formation of such an alliance a few years
ago, much less anticipated that it would end up resonating with so many
Iraqis.

The unity of the religiously conservative Sadrist movement with the
ultra-secular ICP seemed baffling to outside observers, but it appears to
have created a successful synthesis.

One of those who appears to best typify the new politics is Suhad
al-Khateeb, a communist who won a parliamentary seat for the religious city
of Najaf - one of the most important hubs of Shia Islamic theology.

People visited me at school. They looked up to me and saw me as a role
model of how a politician should be

*- Suhad al-Khateeb, Communist MP*

Khateeb, who is a teacher, anti-poverty activist and womens rights
activist, had not considered running in previous parliamentary elections.

"I didn’t run in the [2014] election, but I was part of a group that
visited people all over the Najaf," she told Middle East Eye.

"We visited them to listen to their problems and help them, in the slums of
Najaf and the poor neighbourhoods. I had not thought about running in
elections."

However, she was motivated to run on the Sairoun Alliance ticket this time
around after garnering support from her colleagues and students.

"People visited me at school. They looked up to me and saw me as a role
model of how a politician should be," she explained. "My colleagues, who
support various political parties, respect me and support me."

"Someone who is successful in his work, as simple as running a school,
could be successful in running a state institution."

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