Invent a new system

As ancient Israel was situated between two great empires – Sumer (Mesopotamia/Bablyon) and Egypt – so Iraq was situated between two great religious sects – Sunni (Ottoman/Turks) and Shiite (Persia/Iran). That's why Iraq is so riven. It sits at the stormy intersection of two, irreconcilible, religious weather systems (with the Kurds, just for good measure, thrown in as a third, complicating factor). As such Iraq could either rise to the challenge and invent a new cultural/religious system, as did the Hebrews, or it could descend into chaos, as it presently seems to be doing.