One Man’s Life and the Future of Iraq

Sometimes one man's life can serve as a mirror to reflect the unfolding history of a nation. Keep a watch on the struggles of one Iraqi by the name of Mithal al-Alusi and you will see the drama of Iraq's modern history and the battle for its future. Sometimes the reflected image emits a hopeful glow. Often, however, it shoots back like a dagger, causing a wince of pain.

Alusi, who marches to the sound of his own idealistic beat, has a way of unsettling and angering Iraqis, even as he seeds the soil with new ideas. In recent weeks, he again sent shockwaves with a move that, as usual, challenged Iraq to decide what kind of a country it wants to be.

Iraqis, it appears, have mostly stopped murdering one another and destroying their country. But what kind of a state do they want to build, assuming that the recent gains in security hold and allow them to work together to create a new nation?