|
KIRKUK, IRAQ - The women introduced themselves
in a friendly way — both Sunni Arabs and activists,
one married to a Kurd. Then the talk turned to the
weekend elections, and suddenly the women were
shouting.
In this oil-rich northern city, groups including
Kurds, Arabs and ethnic Turks are increasingly
worried about who will end up with the most power in
local elections that coincide with Sunday's
balloting for the national parliament.
Some fear local tension could spill over into the
rest of the country. Kirkuk, crucial to the
country's future because of its oil, also is widely
seen as a microcosm of Iraq's complex ethnic mix.
"If civil war breaks out here, it will spill into
all of Iraq. Kirkuk is a small Iraq," warned
Mohammed Khalil, a Sunni Arab provincial candidate
with a party called the Iraqi Republican Gathering.
The heated exchange broke out between the two women
Sunday when Hanaa Abdul Razzaq and Ishraq Hassan
when Hassan complained about her family's treatment
when it was forced from the city in 1991 because her
husband is a Kurd.
"Why are you speaking out now? When the Kurds were
left to die of cold and hunger, no one uttered even
a word," shouted Hassan, panting with anger.
"If they have documents, let them return and I'll
welcome them," Abdul Razzaq responded.
"The Kurds' homes have been seized, their families
have been destroyed," Hassan said, springing to her
feet.
At the end, neither could see the other's point.
"This is the exchange, you see between two
well-cultured people," Abdul Razzaq said sadly.
"Imagine what happens on the street."
Under the Saddam Hussein regime and for most of
modern Iraqi history, the minority Sunnis have run
the country, often treating the majority Shiites and
Kurds as second-class citizens.
The top U.S. embassy official in the region, Peter
Thompson, said ethnic groups have managed to
peacefully work out their differences, so far.
But, Thompson added, "I don't want to discount the
possibility that this very delicate balance could be
upset, and we could see tragedy here."
The tensions center on who will control the local
government, and on wariness over possible future
Kurdish designs on the city.
AP
Top |
® 