Where Kurdistan Stands With Its New Experience!

By: Kirmanj Gundi      

Jan 11, 2005  

In the wake of the Sykes-Picot Treaty, which was drafted in 1916 and implemented after WWI, the ever-beautiful Kurdistan was repartitioned among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union. The Vilayat of Mosul (Kurdistan-Iraq) was forcefully annexed to the newly created (out of nothing) Iraq.

Vilayat of Mosul included the city of Mosul and other parts of Kurdistan that are no longer considered by the Kurdish political apparatus as parts of Kurdistan! The Kurds gave up their territorial ownership to Mosul; that is why the Arab-Chauvinists claim Kerkûk!

Even after the collapse of the Ba’athist-bloody-beast regime, the newly CIA created democrats, such as Allawi and his entourage have not taken the slightest step toward the normalization of the obliterated situation created by the former ugly King of Baghdad and efface the scars of their crimes in Kurdistan.

The Kerkûk situation has not improved to a satisfactory level! Nothing has been done to return the Kurdish districts that were given to the Arab provinces! The Kurdish AWAREKAN (displaced) still live under tents! And, the Kurdish political leadership is still waiting for a LAW to come from the lawlessness of BRA EREBEKAN (the Arab brothers) in Baghdad to normalize the situation. The very same brothers who do not believe in democracy and federalism!

The Article 58 of the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) of Iraq that provided a ground for normalizing the situation of Kurdistan has been abrogated, particularly with regards to the Kerkûk province by NOT allowing the forcefully displaced Kurds to go back to their homes and reclaim their ancestral lands. The greater majority of the Arabs whom were brought to arabize Kerkûk are still in Kerkûk!

Due to the two-administration system in Kurdistan, the Kurdish political slogans have not been very effective. The distrust between the two main Kurdish political parties has weakened the national unity front, which could have been used to hinder if not eliminate the obstacles that have been intended to create difficulties for the people of Kurdistan. Instead, the two-head-mentality has grown over the ambitions of nurturing the political denomination! There has been little room for democratic observance. As a result, a huge gap has been created between the two parties, where unstable elements have grown in Kurdistan to destabilize the livelihood of ordinary citizens. Democratic values need to be strengthened to a greater extent. A civic intelligence should be promoted to lay down a ground for the creation of a civil society.

The Kurdish political establishment has been stretching out its hands to the Arabs to accept them as equal partners in Iraq, but they have not been willing to accept each other as equal brothers. After the collapse of the Iraq’s tyrannical regime, they have been louder than Iraqi Arabs to keep Iraq’s territorial integrity together, but have divided KurdistanÎ -bin-destÎ –Iraqê (Kurdistan-Iraq) across their party lines!

In hotels, in territories under either administration one cannot watch the satellite channel of the other administration, because it is not available, but there are many Arabic channels for the guests to enjoy! 

On one hand, the Kurdish political slogans have been dwelling on the notion of repudiating the second class citizenship. They wanted to be recognized as Iraq’s first class citizens. On the other hand, they wanted the new Iraq to become a federal country, where the Kurdistan Federate State (KFS) is established and its borders are drawn on the national geography and historical realities, and Kerkûk is an undisputable part of it. Here, one could question the authenticity of the Kurdish political slogans! For, wanting the first class citizenship indicates that Iraq’s current political map is sanctified. One country, from north to south, and east to west would be a divine land sacrosanct for all. Why bother to even think about federalism? Under such a criterion, Iraq’s territorial integrity becomes a sacred contract, and a taboo to say it is not a part of the (Uma Al-Arabiya) Arab Nation.

Nurturing the nature of federalism for Kurdistan automatically establishes the identity of first class citizenship. For, federalism rejects the majority rule over the minority. It imprints into the legal system equality for all citizens regardless of their national, ethnic, or religious background. 

Even American administration has been against first class citizenship for the people of Kurdistan. They have not hidden their preference for the Arab domination in Iraq by telling the Kurdish leadership NOT to ask for either of the two top posts (President or Prime Minister) in which in the 1930s-1960s of the 20^th century, the Kurds occupied the office of Prime Minister several times. At the dawn of the 21^st century, US, the protector of all democracies does not allow its most compassionate allies to have their democratic rights!

American soldiers have been murdered on a daily basis in the central and southern parts of Iraq and have been viewed as occupiers. On the contrary, they have been barraged with flowers in Kurdistan and considered as liberators. Not a single US soldier has lost his/her life or was wounded in the areas under the Kurdish authorities. In return, to satisfy the Arab-Chauvinists, American administration has always pressured the Kurds to win the Arab satisfaction!

The U. S. policy with regards to Kurdistan has not been straightforward. In the TAL, the U. S. supported a federal system based on the national geography and historical realities. However, in June 2004, U. S. and U. K. replaced the TAL by the UN resolution 1546 that has mentioned federalism only in the preamble section not as an article in the resolution! The U. S. hardly had friends as loyal as the people of Kurdistan; and America knows if they are to be left alone in the Iraqi Arab the consequences would be unbearable for them. The people of Kurdistan have infuriated the Arabs in Iraq and the already hostile neighbors only for cooperating with Americans. The people of Kurdistan cannot afford to be left at the mercy of the Iraqi Arab-Chauvinists once more. America has nothing to lose for helping the people of Kurdistan to achieve their national and democratic rights. On the contrary, America will find the most considerate and supportive friends in the most disputed region in the world.  

On January 1, 2005, the President of Kurdistan Democratic Party, Mr. Masoud Barzani, in his press conference with the US under Secretary of State, Mr. Richard Armitage, reminded the world about his people’s strong alliance with the United States. He also said, “He was optimistic about the future.” Only, on January 4, 2005, the American Special Forces bombarded one of the dormitories of Salahaddin University in Hawler without even informing the Kurdistan authorities about their intended operation. This was American appreciations to Mr. Barzani’s sincerity and good gestures! This lawless action was followed by an apology. However, the apology did not come from where the decision to attack was made; it came from a low rank local commander. Another humiliation to the people of Kurdistan! Such action of the US forces in Kurdistan undermines the authority of the people who assisted them in their Operation Iraqi Freedom! The very people who mixed their blood with American blood to facilitate American success in Iraq.

The Kurdish political leadership encourages the people of Kurdistan to vote. Their rationale is, the more we vote the more seats we secure in the Iraqi National Assembly. Voting under such circumstances, where Saddam’s fingerprints are all over the (still viable) racist policies that were intended to Arabize Kurdistan is a disservice to the Kurdistan martyrs. The people of Kurdistan shall not participate in Iraq’s national election prior to returning the 1958 demographic status to Kurdistan!

85% of the voting forms appeared to be intentionally erred, which reminded the people of Kurdistan of another improper behavior of the Chauvinists in Baghdad. It was a clear indication that these forms were prepared without the Kurdish participation. Another proof that the Arab-Chauvinists do not see the people of Kurdistan as their equal partners in the so-called new Iraq!  

In this dire situation, what the people of Kurdistan need now more than ever before is less political partisan and more orientation toward the glorification of the sacred national and democratic rights under one strong joint leadership. It is essential that the Kurdish political parties create a Kurdistan Leadership Council to jointly lead the beloved people of Kurdistan toward a better and more prosperous future. They can have their own different administration under one leadership council. It is not a good image for the people of Kurdistan to have the foreign guests visit both leaderships in Qala Chwalan and Pirmam for the same purpose!

Kirmanj Gundi is a professor at Tennessee State University in Nashville-Tennessee.