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Arab Fanatic and
Chauvinist Mentality and A Grotesque PUK and KDP Democracy
By: Butan
Amedi
Aug 21, 2005
Let me start by saying
that the Bush Administration made a correct decision, despite the opposition of
the United Nations, to invade Iraq, delivering a terrorized Arab as well as a
Kurdish population from the clutches of one of the most dangerous man in the
world. The world may never come to accept it, but the butcher of Baghdad had
started declaring himself not only an Arab nationalist but also a follower of
Islam, enabling his lackeys to slaughter the Kurds as if they were sheep or
goats through the verses of Anfal.
I may be wrong, but the
intervention in Iraq has also unleashed the pent-up feelings of the Kurds inside
“Syrian” as well as “Iranian” Kurdistan. While one may view the developments in
various parts of Kurdistan with some uneasiness, I am concerned with the
situation in the liberated part of Kurdistan, also known as Southern Kurdistan.
What is bothering me is America’s take on the fate of the Kurds relative to our
neighbors who have their own relations with Uncle Sam. What should we do if our
so-called “brothers”, the Arabs and the Turks, outfox us and force the United
States to take a position against us? The United States claims it wants
democracy in Iraq. Is this really so? Most observers note that the Kurds have
a semblance of Democracy in “Northern Iraq.” If so, why doesn’t the United
States urge the rest of the neighbors follow the Kurdish Model? As it stands, I
am at a loss to answer some of these questions. Does anyone have answers?
The things I know are as
follows: So long as Uncle Sam is in Baghdad, and it looks it will stay there
for a long period of time, my Kurdish compatriots should have no fear of an Arab
Army, unleashing its poisonous influence on Southern Kurdistan. If I am proven
wrong, and Uncle Sam decides to leave, let us say, in year 2006, the Kurds
should get ready for the yet again domination of their land by their southern
“brothers.” For those “brothers” are driven with the ideology of Islam as well
as Arab Nationalism that does not respect equality, and only believes in
dominating the weak.
Saddam may not have had
the need for the use of Islam to suppress the Kurds. Though he is toppled now,
his ideas of a “Glorious” Arab Nation have not been discredited in Baghdad. To
that expansionistic ideology has now been added a new tool: The rise of the
Islamic Fanaticism that has expressed itself in the person of Ayatollah Ali
Sistani. Where was that fellow when Saddam was ruling Iraq? And most
importantly, why does he have to be consulted on issues that tie closely with
the fate of the Kurds? This new development, I fear, has no promising outcomes
neither for Arab Iraq nor for the Southern Kurdistan.
While things in Arab Iraq
may be difficult to fathom and reconcile with the tenets of Liberal Democracy,
one may be tempted to feel hopeful about our brethren in Southern Kurdistan.
Here is a positive observation from a friend of the Kurds, Professor Brendan
O’Leary: "In the executives they control, the two parties temper patronage with
merit and, contrary to stereotypes, they draw upon highly educated personnel to
fill both ministerial and administrative positions, independent of lineage,
region, or prior commitment to the existing leaders. Both have partially
differentiated party from government, a feat often not successfully executed by
many European parties. Both have allowed and nurtured judicial independence.
There are female judges and lawyers. The rule of law and economic freedom have
encouraged small and medium-sized enterprises.....The Kurdistan National
Assembly has remained in being as the common parliament of both executives: a
symbol of the desire for unity and a plausible center of unity once fresh
elections take place."
While one may find some
consolation in such a benign observation, one must also ask the hard question
that our southern parties have avoided so far: What is preventing them from
combining their administrations for the interests of the Kurdish Nation? While
that said, I am wondering if the captains of the American Foreign Policy are
aware of the Lauder Professor’s observations. If they are, wouldn’t you at
least think they should urge Arabs in Southern Iraq to take up the Kurds as Role
Models? But it seems there are other issues at play.
The United States has
proven and again, it only takes care of its own interests alone. If so, how
much influence do we have over its course? Can we measure up to the Turks and
Arabs who are even better-connected than we are? But if we could set aside the
influence of the Turkish and Arab Lobbies in America for the time being, the
practices of our parties in southern Kurdistan are incongruent with their
slogans.
I myself laugh at the
notion that the KDP and PUK are engaged in a "democratic experience." They have
divided up the resources of the liberated Kurdistan. They have even divided the
seats of the parliament between themselves, with minimum deference to the other
parties. It is important to note that a parliament elected through the list
system can not be a representative one. The MPs are replaced at the whim of the
two parties. Most of the administrative personnel are nominated, rather than
being elected by the masses. For example, almost a decade ago, Mr. Nechirvan
Barzani was appointed the Prime Minister of KDP's administration, without once
accounting to the voters. The same goes to the PUK's Administration. There,
Mr. Kossrat Rasul was replaced by Dr. Berhem Salih and he was followed by Mr.
Omer Fetah without a vote from the masses. And one can also note the recent
"election" of Massoud Barzani as Southern Kurdistan's president. Wasn't it a
closed-door agreement between the PUK and KDP? Are the Kurdistanis free to
speak their mind and criticize their administrations? Dr. Freydun Refiq Hilmi
puts it best when he said, “[There is] a lack of [interest in] questioning the
executive or holding them responsible for the consequences of their policy."
Dr. Hilmi is right, but
let me give you another example. For the sake of the argument, let’s say that
George W. Bush has appointed his nephew the vice president, his daughter the
head of the internal security apparatus, his brother Jeff Bush the head of the
Pentagon, his uncle the Secretary of the State and his other daughter the leader
of the Republican Party. Let’s also say that the leaders of some of the
powerful families are selected, elected through a list system, for the House
Representative and the Senate. How do you think the Americans would react to
such a state of affairs? I think, even, the Fox News would take a critical
approach toward this. Certainly, such a system that is based on nepotism would
be totally unacceptable to most Americans. No one would call it a democracy.
Let us face the facts and
admit to the corruption, the Cancer of Democracy, across Kurdistan. I have yet
to read of one single person from either party who has been prosecuted for
defrauding the Kurdish population of their resources and riches. Assuming their
rule is democratic and ethical, the questions that arise are as follows: why is
there a public discontent for the two parties? Why are lucrative Businesses
given to the members of the two parties? Does anyone know the amount of taxes
that are collected by the officials? Several people that I know were eager to
go to Kurdistan to start investments, but they got cold feet after learning the
fact about the necessity for bribery to start an investment. So where is the
power of the democracy to stop this corruption and punish the accused?
I think a new beginning or
at least a major overhaul is a must in Kurdistan. One way is to disarm PUK and
KDP. If it were up to me, I would have disconnected the power of parties over
the Peshmerge Forces, an apparatus that must be independent. I believe they
should only be run by people who are totally committed to the Kurds and
Kurdistan across the board, from Mendeli to Mahabad, from Dersim to Qamishlo. I
have a hunch you are curious about my choices. Here they are in the order of my
preferences: Dr. Mahmud Osman, Mr. Mehdi Zana, Dr. Nuri Talabani, Dr. Kendal
Nezan and even my good friend, Mr. Kani Xulam.
I call on all the
democratic forces who believe in the legitimacy of Kurdistan to state their
views and strive for the liberation of Kurds and Kurdistan.
Butan Amedi is a member
of the American Kurdish Youth Organization.
b.amedi@kurdyouth.org
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