By Monika Sharma

The recent unrests in Lebanon, Iraq and Iran have induced a state of economic deprivations in all of the three countries. The unrest bears the resonance of what we come across Marx’s communist manifesto, where the lower strata of the society combat the elites or the power-hungry demons. In this matter, the holy city of Shia is also not left out. The frustration and corruption in all of the three countries have dovetailed with the resentment of the Iranian regime.

The rebellion is against Iran’s intervention in the internal matters of the countries. A recent leak of documents in Iraq has revealed that Iran has a stronghold over the internal affairs of the state. In all likelihood, the ubiquitous sway of Iran is also felt in the other countries like Lebanon.

If the history is skimmed through, it would then be cleared how these three countries had once benefitted each other. The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 has provided the Islamic republican with the opportunity to reverse the years of marginalisation that was inflicted on Shia majority by Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime. On the other hand, in Lebanon, Iran’s revolutionary guard had played an instrumental role in the founding of Hezbollah, and they continue to the fun and train it. Hezbollah soon made its way to the hierarchy and governed Lebanon. Iran is also responsible for the bloody history in Syria.

It is just not the transnational ties which are turning out to be detrimental to the well-being of the countries, but there are other collusions as well. The collusion between the Barzani family and Raymond Rameh has also been exposed. These parties are accused of expropriating thousands of dollars in foreign investments. Both these parties are involved in unfair and illegal trades for over decades. These two business parties were accused of telling the directors of Korek that the loan was highly unsecured, which justified the high-interest rates. In reality, though, the loan was under security. An investigation by financial times had also revealed how Rameh had allegedly made usage of real estate in London in order to corrupt these Iraqi officials. These would have benefitted their business. However, this investigation brought Iraq’s reliability into question.

Ethnicity and religion are overshadowed by corruption:

The corruption rate has touched and reached the pinnacle. The parties involved in the dirty game are also involved in the dirty game. Their influences on other countries are contaminating the integrity of the countries, and the uprisings seem valid. Lower sections of the society are being robbed of their lands and properties to feed their own hunger for power.

Wrapping Up:

It is now on the civil societies to overthrow the kleptocratic parties and save their nation. All the civil societies in Iraq and Lebanon have only set aside all the faultlines to establish a united front which will have protestors irrespective of their caste and creed. Apparently, Iraq is in need of such desperate insurgency to drive out the power maniacs. This would also influence other nations to stand for themselves and crush the power-hungry regime to make the countries better places to live in.