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Dear Mr. President! Kurdish state, not a dream, it's inevitable |
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Dear Mr. President! Kurdish state, not a
dream, it's inevitable
6.5.2011
Exclusive column by
Nia Amin - ekurd.net |
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May 6, 2011
Iraq's President and the leader of the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Jalal Talabani aka [Mam
Jalal], stated in an interview with the Arabic Dar
al-Khaleej, on January 22 that, "The establishment
of a Kurdish state is an impossible dream."
Talabani maintained that, "The establishment of a
Kurdish state is the dream of some Kurdish patriots
and poets and perhaps of some Kurdish youths who see
190 flags on top of the United Nations building. But
I think that the realistic
Kurdish politicians know that this (Kurdish state)
is a dream and they regard it this way. A man does
not run after a dream to lose its achievements and
what he has gained on the ground."
Such statements by Mam Jalal are not the first and
seem unlikely to be the last. He expressed similar
views in a number of his interviews with newspapers
around the world. |
Nia Amin is an Advisor & Human Right Activities in
EU. |
It can be argued that such
statements are nothing but typical pragmatic remarks
by politicians in high positions. Maybe! However,
political developments on the ground in Kurdistan
and Iraq, which is combined with global political
changes, indicate a completely different picture, in
contrast to what Talabani believes.
In sharp contrast to what the PUK leader expressed,
the Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, stated
that establishment of an independent Kurdish state
is not a dream but a right that the Kurds have.
Barzani further stated that given the political
climate of today the Kurds opt for federalism in a
federal Iraq.
Intensified conflict between Shiites and Sunnis of
Iraq and the way Saddam was executed indicates that
unified, democratic and plural Iraq is impossibility
despite the top Iraqi politicians' rhetoric. Many
deadly truck bombing in the mainly Shia al-Sadriya
district and other places in central Baghdad which
killed more than thousand peoples until now is a
clear signal. The Kurds,www.ekurd.netone
way or the other, have to make a choice between
remaining in an ever deepening sectarian conflict in
a virtually divided Iraq or to opt for their own
self-rule.
This is not a dream, it is inevitable.
It is difficult to comprehend why some circles still
insist on the impossibility of independence for
millions of Kurds. The Cold War era is over. The
arbitrary Middle Eastern borders are prone to
alteration. New and old political actors and forces
within the framework of chaotic global political
conditions are competing for a new status quo of the
21st century. For an oppressed nation such as the
Kurds, it is the right moment to endeavor for their
freedom, to challenge their century long oppression
at the hands of despotic and undemocratic regimes.
Contrary to Mam Jalal's statements, not only a few
romantic poets or youths but the overwhelming
majority of the Kurds' real demand is independence
as they clearly showed in southern Kurdistan: 98
percent of Kurds voted for independence in an
unofficial referendum, which ran parallel to the
Iraqi election in January 2005.
The Kurdish leaders must get themselves rid of the
Cold War mentality where world politics was in
deadlock and changing of borders, especially of the
Middle East, were almost improbable. The Kurdish
political institutions, parties and leaders must
embrace the new political reaalities which provide
ample opportunities for the realization of long
awaited Kurdish dreams for independence.
It is no longer a dream but a reality in reach. All
what is needed is a cohesive Kurdish national
politics, energetic and valiant leaders with vision.
Instead of making politics in dirty old waters, the
Kurds and their leaders must have dignity to stand
for their national and democratic rights.
Resources:
chronics, the Arabic Dar al-Khaleej,
Eng. Nia Amin is an Advisor & Human Right Activities
in EU and regular contributing writer for ekurd.net.
Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net
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