This debate aired shortly after the execution of Saddam Hussein. It was translated by MEMRI. It's old news by now, but it illustrates my point rather well.
If that link doesn't work try here.
English transcript available here.
Watch the video and try to answer the following questions:
Which holiday was it and why was that significant?
Why does Mishan bring up Omar and Abu Bakr?
Why does Mishan call Sadeq a "persian shoe"?
What power struggles does this showcase?
(answers in comments)
-RQIB
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Which holiday was it and why was that significant?
Saddam was executed on Eid Al Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice. It occurs at during the Hajj and is the holiest day in Islam. The pilgrims must purchase and sacrifice an animal. Every muslim in the world is expected to do the same at the same time to show solidarity and the oneness of the Islamic Ummah. Can you believe some people thought the Americans picked this day on purpose? We weren't even culturally sophisticated enough to notice it.
Why does Mishan bring up Abu Bakr and Umar?
They were the first and second Sunni Caliph's respectively. Mishan is directly referencing events that happened in the 7th century in his argument about Iraqi politics today.
Why does Mishan call Sadeq a "persian shoe"?
Persian is a common epithet applied by sunni pan-arabists to shi'ites. Iranians are not arabs and are not sunni like most arabs. Anybody who is persian is obviously some kind of traitor and anybody who is shi'ite is not an arab and is obviously persian.
What power struggles does this showcase?
It shows the Arab vs. Iranian and the Sunni vs. Shia struggles.
The opinion pole cited at the front shows how they fall on this issue. The high rate of people not supporting the execution isn't suprising when you consider that most of Al Jazeera's viewers are Sunni Arabs. Those perspectives also explain the references to Abu Bakr and Omar, the importance of Sadeq being Iranian, and so on.
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