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As
recent as a year ago, there was almost no terror
threat in Hewler (Erbil), the province which is the
seat of government for the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) in the Kurdish autonomous region of
Iraq. Unfortunately, following a small number of
high profile attacks in the city of Hewler, this has
changed.
Earlier this month, Kurdish security forces
uncovered a terror cell led by a man calling himself
“Sheikh Zana,” and the subsequent arrest of the
so-called sheikh and a number of Kurdish terrorists
working for him shocked and angered a population
slowly coming to terms with the fact that not only
have a small number Kurds within the KRG region been
working for the terrorists, but also the more
disturbing revelation that some of them have
infiltrated high levels of the local establishment.
In a region in which support for President Bush and
the US-led war on terror and remains very high, this
unwelcome news was received with shock and anger
directed not only at the terrorists themselves but
also at the local government and security forces,
who the people expect to do more to fight terror.
I personally heard rumors of kidnappings and even
decapitations taking place in the KRG region. Many
of these rumors are indeed false, but their presence
indicates that at least some portion of people found
them believable, while a year ago such reports would
have been dismissed as impossible. To a certain
extent, terror is now literally the talk of the town
in Hewler, which was not the case until recently.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) satellite
channel Kurdistan TV is now running a show every
night called “Tiror Wek Xoy (Terror As It Is)” in
which captured terrorists are shown on camera
speaking of their crimes and plans for terror
attacks. This is apparently inspired by the show
“Terror in the Hands of Justice”, which is shown on
the al-Iraqiah satellite channel. The most shocking
feature of “Tiror Wek Xoy”, of course, is that the
captured terrorists are speaking Kurdish – they are
Kurds from cities as far north as Zaxo who have
decided to become terrorists and try to bring the
chaos and death that is known all to well to Baghdad
residents north to the peaceful and prosperous KRG
region. In Baghdad, “Terror in the Hands of Justice”
is a hit program that allows the cities residents,
tired and frightened by the constant campaign of
terror, to cheer victories against terrorism and see
that the Iraqi security forces are making progress
against the terrorists. However, in Kurdistan I am
not so sure if “Tiror Wek Xoy” is having the same
impact, despite its intentions. In my opinion, the
daily showcase of captured Kurdish terrorists may
actually be increasing the masses fear that
organized terror has successfully moved north, and
may be a factor in increasing the frequency of the
rumors such as those I heard about kidnappings and
decapitations.
The terror campaign is resulting not only in fear
but also in a backlash against religion. While Kurds
are overwhelmingly Muslim at least by birth, a fair
number will make anti-Islamic statements that are a
bit harsh on the ears. More than one person in
Hewler told me simply that Islam is a “terror
religion”. One told me that Kurds are “ashamed” of
Islam. A Kurd born in Suleimani who was visiting
Hewler from his home in Germany told me that more
Kurds should and are in the process of becoming
Christians, while a Yezidi Kurd of 18 years of age
bragged to me that he is not a Muslim and,
furthermore, alcohol was not forbidden for him. “The
problem is in the mosques,” I was told. Indeed, I
felt a bit uncomfortable hearing some of the more
radical anti-Islamic and anti-religious statements
being made. That aside, many people still do worship
at mosques, and some are quick to point out that
terror in the name of Islam is indeed not part of
the religion at all.
Fears of terror aside, foreign investors coming to
Hewler at an increasing rate. The Erbil
International Hotel, known more commonly as “the
Sheraton”, is a Western-style hotel that seems ready
to cater to these foreign investors. While located
in the administrative capital of the KRG region, its
staff primarily speaks Arabic and some English, and
only a minority of hotel workers actually speak
Kurdish. Indeed, the lunch buffet has foods labeled
only in English and Arabic! Indeed, a Kurdish
visitor may think that he or she has taken a wrong
turn and ended up in Baghdad or Beirut after
arriving at the Sheraton. Businessmen from Lebanon,
Turkey, the US, and other countries mingle with
Kurdish businessmen and government officials in the
lobby of the hotel. Many of these foreign
businessmen make frequent trips to Hewler, looking
for business opportunities in the most stable part
of Iraq. Some of them spend most of their time
within the Sheraton, behind its fortified walls and
armed security guards, without taking time to
venture out into the city for anything other than
business meetings, being unsure of their safety.
Terror, or rather, the perceived new threat of
terror, has not shut down life in Hewler. Indeed,
for the most part, things are running as they would
in any normal city, and only the frequent chatter of
security concerns hints at anything out of the
ordinary. The bazaar in the ancient city center
which forms at the side of the historic castle
remains busy and crowded, where consumers can buy
everything from common household products to
Kurdistan flags and pictures of Kurdish heroes and
notable figures. While pictures of KDP figures such
as Mesud Barzani and Nechirvan Barzani are
available, one can also find the now famous picture
of current Iraqi President Jalal Talabani at a
meeting in Baghdad waving a map that serves to
support Kurdish claims to the city of Kirkuk. Next
to pictures of political figures, one can also buy
pictures of popular singers, including a large
number of Turkish pop stars. Turkish language music
remains very popular in Iraqi Kurdistan, regardless
of the fact that many of its most dedicated fans do
not speak Turkish. In one strange demonstration of
this fact, a music store selling Zakaria albums also
sold not only Turkish language albums from Ibrahim
Tatlises and Sibel Can but also albums from a
Turkish pop star commonly known in Turkey to be a
fascist, allied with political currents that deny
the existence of the Kurdish people. When the owner
of this music shop was asked about the strange
presence of albums from a Turkish fascist at his
store, he simply responded that he had no idea about
the politics of the man.
Nightlife remains in Hewler, as groups of friends
head out to popular restaurants to enjoy drinks,
nargile (Arabic water pipe), and of course a few bad
jokes, with one another past midnight. It does not
take long to notice that many of those working at
these popular restaurants are not Kurds and do not
even speak Kurdish. More and more, non-Kurds are
coming to Hewler and other places in the KRG region
to work and escape the insecurity of other areas in
Iraq. Christians from Mosul in particular are
overrepresented in the ranks of these hotel and
restaurant workers. A spirited and perhaps off-color
conversation in Kurdish may be interrupted by a
diner to request more bread or another drink, in
Arabic, from a waiter.
The Iraqi flag is nowhere to be seen in Hewler. Many
people will explain quite sensibly that there is no
place for an Arab flag, “the flag of Halabja” as
many say, in Kurdistan. That said, it seems more and
more that an indication of Iraqi identity than
present in years past. Many people do refer to their
home as “Iraqi Kurdistan”. Travelers entering and
exiting the region via the Ibrahim Khalil crossing
that cuts Kurdistan into pieces, separating free
Iraqi Kurdistan from Turkish-occupied Kurdistan, now
receive a passport stamp bearing the name “Iraq
Kurdistan Region”.
The two administrations in the KRG region, that of
the KDP and that of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
(PUK), are still not fully integrated, although a
new atmosphere of unity within the region seems to
be present. In Dohuk, where genuine support for the
KDP remains high, side by side photographs of KRG
and KDP President Mesud Barzani and Iraqi President
and PUK Secretary General Jalal Talabani can be seen
in restaurants and other places. This encouraging
phenomenon was not present a year ago.
Looking to the future, there is indeed reason to be
optimistic. As the overwhelming majority of the
population stands strongly against terror, there is
reason to think that their pressure on the local
government and security forces will result in more
effective anti-terror measures in the region.
Increased foreign investment will likely bring
greater prosperity. After weathering an attempt at
genocide by the now incarcerated former dictator
Saddam Hussein and surviving years of threats and
war, the Kurds of Iraq are enjoying the benefits of
relative stability, and may see their homeland rise
as a new trade center and, more importantly, a
center of hope in a region plagued by turmoil.
www.kurdmedia.com
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