“…a manifesto entitled ‘The Declaration of the Shi’a of Iraq,’ issued in July 2002… was written by [Iraqi statesmen] Mowaffaq al-Rubai’e, Ali Allawi and Sahib al-Hakim. The Declaration drew in a wide range of participants from academic, professional, religious, tribal and military backgrounds. Over 400 Iraqi Shi’a opinion leaders in exile signed it. The Declaration called for a new Iraq based on the three principles of democracy, federalism and community rights. While not explicitly demanding a Shi’a region, the ‘Declaration’ did not rule this out. It stressed that the Iraqi state was inherently sectarian in nature and that the structures of institutional discrimination against the Shi’a had to be completely dismantled.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Ali A. Allawi, The Occupation of Iraq, Page 75