This blog has been considering a few religious issues lately, including Mel Gibson’s new film. While we are on this religious theme, I would suggest that there are some interesting parallels between Christ’s death and the current situation in Iraq.
A very hot issue for two millennia has been: who was really responsible for Christ’s death? My answer is this: the Romans invaded Palestine, set up a Roman government there and Roman troops were the ultimate force. So the Romans must accept ultimate responsibility for all major occurrences under their rule.
So, the US invaded Iraq, set up a US government there, and US soldiers are the ultimate force. So all the deaths, injuries and hardship currently being experienced by Iraqis is the responsibility of the US.
Now the US is desperately trying to set up an Iraqi government, and this policy of relative local autonomy was basic Roman policy too. But Roman provinces remained within the empire, and some will argue that the US intends Iraq to stay within a US orbit of influence, although this relationship may be more commercial in character.
Of course, things went very sour between Palestine and the Romans, and some years after the crucifixion there was a devastating rebellion, crushed with their usual brutality by the Romans. Let’s hope this catastrophe does not parallel future events.
What is most concerning about the situation in the Gulf is the failure of the reform movement in Iran. The Iranians are a much tougher prospect than Iraq ever was, and they are very influential in Iraq. They have also actively supported international terrorism (some claim Iran was behind the Lockerbie disaster that Libya has owned up to, supposedly in revenge for the plane shot down by the USS Vincennes). An active, radical Islamism that spreads from Iran into Iraq and beyond (possibly including Pakistan), probably armed with nuclear weapons, is just about a worse case scenario for the west. Especially as Israel has an early first use doctrine regarding its own arsenal of nuclear weapons.