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Sunni
Arabs greet appointment of a Kurd as president with
mixture of cautious optimism and concern.
Omar Ahmed, 26, from Falluja, is playing dominos in
one of Baghdad’s casinos and remarking on a
political development once thought impossible, “It
is the first time we’ve had a Kurdish president
since the establishment of the Iraqi state in the
1920s.”
Discussion about the appointment of a Kurd, Jalal
Talabani, as president of Iraq has been a hot topic
of conversation in Baghdad, especially among the
Sunni Arab minority that ruled Iraq under Saddam
Hussein.
Nagam Basil, 35, a teacher from the city of Ana,
reflected the views of some Sunni Arabs when spoke
of the dramatic change of fortunes for the Kurds and
urged Talabani not to engage in ethnic
discrimination.
“It really is a surprise to have a Kurdish leader to
run Iraq. I hope he will be fair to both Kurds and
Arabs equally,” he said.
To the Kurds, Talabani has long been a freedom
fighter and patriotic figure who led resistance to
Saddam’s ethnic cleansing campaigns in Kurdistan.
As a result, the president enjoys massive popularity
among his people. They see him as a liberal
politician who will pursue the interests of all
ethnic groups in Iraq.
But many Sunni Arabs, many of whom boycotted the
election, are not all encouraged by the appointment.
Mohammed Aziz, 30, an engineer from al-Anbar
province, highlights the view of some that Talabani
will only look to strengthen his own ethnic group,
at the expense of other Iraqis.
“Jalal is an American agent. He will join Kirkuk to
Kurdistan region. He will serve only the interests
of Kurds,” he said.
Other Sunni Arabs, while unhappy about the
presidential appointment, adopt a pragmatic approach
to the matter.
“Arab Sunnis do not want to have a Kurdish leader
but for the time being we will line up with the
government because it is merely a caretaker
government," said Sheikh Salim al-Hindawi, 35, from
Khaldiya city, west of Baghdad.
The Kurds won 25 per cent of the seats in the
National Assembly in the January election even
though they represent just 15 to 18 per cent of
Iraq’s population.
Talabani is supported by the population’s majority
Shia, who have more than half the assembly seats.
Unlike many of their supporters, most Sunni
politicians now accept Talabani as president. The
Iraqi Islamic Party, which refused to take part in
the elections, has called on its members to give
Talabani a chance.
Kheder Mohammed, a party member and Ramadi council
member, said, “In the interests of Iraq, we have to
deal with Talabani and his new government free from
sectarian, national, or ethnic judgment.”
Middle-class, educated Sunni Arabs are, it seems,
already willing to accept that the appointment of a
Kurdish president is an important step towards
democracy.
"Educated Arab Sunnis after the election became more
accepting of the new political situation in Iraq.
They understand that they must be part of politics
to reach their goals, so they welcomed the
presidency of Talabani," said Mohand al-Grayri, a
political analyst from the Strategic Centre in
Baghdad.
One such educated Sunni Arab is Omar Abdul Rahman,
40, from Ramadi, who said, “We cautiously watch the
new government. Our concern is not at having a
Kurdish or an Arab president, it is about finding a
solution to the security and economic issues, and
getting Iraq out of the trap of violence.”
Zainab Naji and Dawood al-Ani are IWPR trainee
journalists in Baghdad.
www.iwpr.net
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