Blood Democracy

Bush wanted democracy in Iraq, right? Well, the Shiites are giving him one. They're really against the proposed Iraqi constitution.

Posters have gone up at universities in Baghdad and elsewhere, leaflets have circulated among prayer-goers and Sistani's cadres -- from young clerics to devoted laymen -- have gathered tens of thousands of signatures on the petitions.

...Kadhim Atshan, a member of the committee, said a third of the people wanted to sign with pens dipped in their own blood.

Luckily, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani won't accept those signatures for his petitions.

Some Shiite who are speaking out are getting shut down by the US, like this Shiite newspaper which we just banned. I don't know exactly what was printed in this printer, but I thought that having a free press was something necessary for a healthy democracy to exist. Newspapers must, and should very well be, critical of the government.