By: Hataw Sarkawt

Dec 5, 2005

The Kurdish plight is one commonly seen throughout history. Kurds seem to be playing the role of traditional “underdog” being oppressed by those with more power or the “top dogs.” This generic struggle can date all the way back to cases such as David and Goliath. David’s size in this story is symbolic of less power, and this inherent weakness brings about a sense of similarity and empathy among the common man. Not too long ago, America was in a very similar David and Goliath situation. It started out with a few ambitious colonists coming to the new world that gradually build a country with an equal opportunity to all. America’s forward thinking ideology, however, was not shared by those in England, leaving the new world the option of breaking away from the old and declaring independence.

Return to Kurdistan, the land of the largest ethnic minority without a country, is today very similar to David or colonial America. It is the apparent underdog fighting for the noble cause of reclaiming an existence and stolen identity. Although there seems to be an omnipresent need in the world to preserve culture, this is a case where the culture seems to be slipping through the cracks and no one is there to catch it. Now as the underdog, one would expect people with a once exactly similar situation to want to show support of the cause. One would expect there to be a sense of empathy towards the situation in Kurdistan by the country whose beginnings mimic that of the current state of the Kurds. However, this empathy and support is surprisingly missing; it seems almost to be “out of style” to support the underdog. If you want to take it to an extreme, these once “angelic and noble anti bullies” seem to be supporting the bullies instead of helping the nobles. Sure the US has made attempts at bettering the situation, but these seem to be limited to a façade to uphold the image of a “Robin Hood”.

I suggest that those in power, who can really do something to better this situation, think how far they have strayed from the path of helping the under-dog. It seems to go very much against American ideology, and I believe to be fair to our founding fathers and the beliefs they built this country on, we must strive to help those who are following a similar path, in this case the Kurdish people, instead of taking a back seat to the situation and hoping it will work itself out. Like David’s, the Kurdish path seems to be heading in the right direction. David was rooted for by all, and came out the heroic victor in the end. It is still not too late, for those who can make a difference, be at the side of current David, the Kurdish people.