Iraqis under 30 are more than 68 percent of the population, while the percentage of children under 15 has reached 40 percent, according to figures released by Iraqi planning minister Khaled Battal al Najm in his June 14 report. . But the share of young people on the Iraqi political scene is less than 2 percent when looking at the age of parliamentarians and ministers.
There is a barrier of alienation and misunderstanding between politicians and young people. Young Iraqis, especially those who grew up in the third millennium, have not known the harshness of the 35 years of rule of Saddam Hussein and his party. Instead, they became big in the context of the wars after 2003 and have experienced the corruption of government parties closely, assuming a negative attitude towards parties and members of parliament.
Young people believe them to be totally corrupt and are frightened that their country has lost $ 200 billion in bogus projects in ten years that were supposed to be destined for their education, their jobs, their homes. The highest percentage of unemployed is among young people. This is why they view politicians as someone who is stealing their future.
Without plans
The rulers return the suspicion and hostility. General Abdul Karim Khalaf, a former government spokesman, described the young demonstrators as inherently rebellious and atheist, influenced by the West and financed by foreign entities in a speech in Clubhouse.
The gap between the two worlds rapidly deepens. According to the planning ministry there is no clear plan on how to deal with the growth of the youth population.
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)
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