“A closed mind does not build a nation: A call for openness for a new Iraq”

Dear friends,

We are the sons of a diverse country, rich in cultures, components, religions, and dialects. Unfortunately, this richness has often become a source of division rather than a source of strength in our distant and recent history. We disagree, then quarrel; we engage in dialogue, then attack; and reject others simply because they are "different."

In such circumstances, as Iraq is currently experiencing a period of calm that will inevitably continue with the wisdom of the wise, it is worth rereading what the late Iraqi thinker Ali al-Wardi said in his book The Farce of the Human Mind:

"He who never departs from the environment in which he was born, who reads only books that reinforce his inherited beliefs, and who focuses solely on the culture of his homeland, cannot be neutral in his judgment. Rather, he is expected to be imbued with a fierce nationalism and a firm intellectual steadfastness."

These words are not directed against our adherence to our convictions, but against stagnation, against closing our minds and living in an "intellectual bubble" from which we see nothing.

Our diversity is not a curse but an opportunity. From Kurds and Turkmen to Arabs, Shiites to Sunnis, Christians to Yazidis and Mandaeans, Iraq is a multifaceted entity. Coexistence can only succeed when we learn to see the world differently.

Isolation breeds intolerance. When we read only what affirms our ideas, befriend only those who resemble us, and reject those who disagree, we become "solid walls," shutting out the light. Our country, Iraq, has paid a heavy price for this intolerance in the past.

Iraqi youth are the true linchpins of change. The post-2003 generation didn't create the past, but they hold the keys to the future. And the key to the future is openness to others—not as a threat but as an opportunity for understanding and perhaps for correction.

How do we reshape our consciousness? Learning about and reading about those who differ from us in thought is essential: Don't just accept what satisfies your convictions; read what contradicts them. We must engage in respectful dialogue, not ridicule those who differ, and accept that the truth is not absolute. We are all on a continuous journey of discovery. We must believe that a new Iraq begins with the minds of young people. We cannot build a new Iraq with old minds, and we cannot create internal peace if we do not learn to respect other opinions.

Openness is not weakness but strength. Doubting our heritage is not blasphemy but the beginning of awareness.

Let us emerge from our intellectual walls and build a homeland that excludes no one.

Finally, let us free ourselves from the rigidity of our judgments and allow our minds and hearts to see others with new eyes that care about the unity of Iraq and its people.