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Open your Eyes or Shut up Your Mouth
Maliki
10.5.2012
By Nabaz Shwany
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Ekurd.net |
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May
10, 2012
Kirkuk is one of the ancient Kurdish cities that
its history belongs to thousands years ago. In
2100BCE Kirkuk was a capital of Gutian Kurdish
dynasty. Also, Kirkuk was an important and strategic
place during the reign of Median Empire in 673BCE.
Medes or Medians were the ancestors of Xenophon's
Carduchi and the modern Kurds. Then, after the
conquest of Islam and during the mediaeval times,
Kirkuk was a capital of Sharazur Vilayet (state)
which was one of the Kurdish states within Ottoman
Empire. Kirkuk was also the capital of Baban Dynasty
in 17th and 18th century.
After the First World War, both Ottomans and Great
Britain desired the control of Musil Vilayet, and
Kirkuk as a capital. But, the issue of Musil Vilayet
sent to the league of nation and they made the final
decision and attached the Vilayet to the Kingdom of
Iraq. In 1927, for the first time the large oil
gusher discovered in the city. According to the
latest estimations, Kirkuk oil production is
250,000bbl/d and its reserves is about 16 billion
barrels. Despite being oil rich city, Kirkuk used to
have a strategic and geo-political importance for
all parts. Its location gives the city a strategic
significant for commerce.
Until now Kirkuk is a dominant Kurdish city despite
all the attempts by Iraqi regimes to demote Kurdish
population of the city. Before, 1970 Kirkuk covered
a large area of Kurdistan and the ratio of the
Kurdish population was above 70%, and Turkmens use
to be the second largest ethnic group in the city
with minorities like Chaldean, Assyrian, Armenian
and others. Regarding the Arabs of the city, they
just comprise a small number of the city population
after all their attempts to dominate the city and
displace Kurds from their homes.
The political nature of Kirkuk makes people to be
active in politics. So, we can see the city has a
great rule in all Kurdish revolutions. Further, many
political parties founded and extended their
activities first in Kirkuk then to the other Kurdish
cities. Many political leaders, intelectuals and
heros were come from this city includes Mama Risha,
Ali Askari, Azad Hawrami, RafiqHilmi, BakirSidqi and
many more. So, the political influence of the city
attracted all and was a major obstacle for the Iraqi
regimes. Iraq was always frightened of Kirkuk and
its people for many reasons. Apart from politics and
economy, Kirkuk was known as a cultural city for
Kurds during its glorious time of 1970 to the mid of
1980. It showed a larger improvement in Kurdish
music and folklore. The first Kurdish TV. In
southern part of Kurdistan was also broadcasted in
Kirkuk. Many famous Kurdish singers like Ali Mardan,
Hussein Ali, Salah Daude, Adnan Karim was come from
Kirkuk.
From 1945 on, the Iraqi regimes tried their best to
control the city and displace Kurds in Kirkuk in
order to dominate this oil rich city. In fact,
before 1945 there were no Arabs in Kirkuk, but came
just after the construction Hawija Project. So, the
rural Arabs from different parts of Iraq brought to
Kirkuk and then step by step the government tried to
attract more Arabs to the city. Not only this, the
Iraqi government minimized the size of the city by
detaching Kurdish towns and regions of Kirkuk such
as Chamchamal, Kalar, Kifri, Duz, Shwan, Qarahanjir,
and Pirde. The population of those cities and towns
now estimated to be over 400,000. The inhabitants of
these areas were are all Kurdish except Duz and
Pirde were there was minority Turkemens.
When Saddam Hussein, former Iraqi dictator took
power, the government passionately implemted many
Ani-kurds projects and programs in Kirkuk. He
destroyed many Kurdish villages in Kirkuk and
departure their populations to other Kurdish cities.
Besides, he arrested, killed and massacred Kurdish
people of the city during and after Anfal genocide
which coasts 182,000 Kurdish victims and that Kirkuk
had the major share. Actually, He used all means to
undermine Kurdish identity of the city. Under the
Arabization program, Iraq had displaced hundreds and
thousands of Kurds from the city, I am included. In
exchange he replaced them Arabs from Iraq and
occupied the Kurdish lands, houses, villages and the
government paid about 10,000 Iraqi dinars for each
Arabfamilies that moves to Kirkuk. Iraqi regime also
executed the program of open employment in the city
administration and North Oil Company and it cause to
see no Kurds in government administration agencies
and directories. Moreover, they banned anything that
smells Kurdish includes even naming children. The
Arabization processes of the city left two options
for Kurds,www.ekurd.net
leaving the city or change their Identity to Arabs
and cooperating with Regime against Kurdish
movements. Even, sometimes they didn’t give
treatment and excluded Kurds from getting any
medical serviceseven in the public hospitals. My
father always tells the story about vaccine that
they didn’t give me and it endangered my mortality
just because he didn’t change his identity to Arab.
So, under this harsh condition, the population of
Kurds decreased and Arab population continuously
rapid up at the expense of Kurds.
During the Kurdish March uprising of 1991, Kirkuk
people like all other Kurdish cities upraised
against Saddam Hussein and celebrated their victory
after few hours, but Iraqi government sent many
troops and used all its capacity to retake Kirkuk.
Besides, there was a fear of using chemical weapon
by Saddam again Kirkuk population as he did in
Halabja, so the Kurdish leadership withdraw their
forces from Kirkuk until 2003. After the Iraqi
Operation Freedom in 2003, Kurdish Peshmerge forces
seized the city and banished the regime in the city.
So, thousands displaced Kurds returned to their home
city and willingly accepted all their terrible
conditions which they challenged after they returned
back.
So, in the first election after the Iraqi operation
freedom, Kurds guaranteed over 65% of the total
votes. In the local election, out of 41 seats
Kurdish Kirkuk Brotherhood List attained 26 seats,
Turkemens 8 seats with 1 seat for Turkemens Islamic
Coalition List, Arab Iraqi Republic Gathering List 5
seats and 1 seat for the Iraqi National Gathering.
This election showed the true size of each ethnic
group in Kirkuk and rebutted all Arab claims
regarding their sizes in the city.
The victory of Kurds in Kirkuk makes the Iraqi
government to be stricter toward the Kurdish
identity of the city. So, they created many problems
for Kirkuk administration. Kurdish political parties
each constructed many projects to the city and
Kurdistan government always behaved in the way to
balance between the city’s ethnic groups. Sometimes
even at the expenses of Kurd just to satisfy
Turkmens and Arabs. However, they never appreciated
Kurdistan Regional Government KRG supports and
fairness. They tried to destabilize the security and
coexistence in the city and always criticized
Kurdish political parties for being bias toward
them. The KRG clement treatments with none-Kurdish
groups was in the way which sometimes disturbed
Kurdish people.
To keep the city from ethnic conflict the Kurdish
leadership agreed to have referendum by the end of
2007 whether to be Kurdistani or Iraqi, this has
been even written in the Iraqi constitution and
known as article 140. Though, the Iraqi government
lead by Nuri Maliki not only breached the
constitution and promises, but created many
obstacles the Article since he was sure any
referendum or democratic move toward Kirkuk issue
would be in favor of Kurds. He many times promised
Kurdish leadership and even in the last cabinet in
front of all the Medias, Iraqis and Kurdish
politicians to implement the article. But, he just
proved that he is such a bigger liar and all he
tried to do is deceiving Kurds.
In the last two months the disagreement between
Maliki and Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani
reached to the highest level. Many criticisms come
from both sides. Actually, the Kurdish leadership
realized Maliki plans against Kurdish people and how
he tries to control all sectors of the government
and bringing back the dictatorship to Iraq. No only
this, Maliki even threatened to use forces and F16
if he gets, against Kurdish people. Its for weeks,
just like apricots or the comedian, he and his
friends always on the Television Channels claims
such things that we can not even find in comic
books. He seems to be drunk or lost his mindset when
he citizen Kurdish leadership. He crossed all lines
and ethics. He eradicated the rule of law and never
implemented the constitution. Anybody criticize him
in Iraq, would be endanger. He arrest innocent
people and release criminals. He dismisses officials
and appoints his supporters. Recently, he is trying
to extend his power and have his say in oil
contracts.
Yesterday, he took a visit to the Kurdish city of
Kirkuk and met his cabinet there. He followed with
eight Arab ministries and many tanks, solders and
helicopters. Kurdish Ministries
bycoted this meeting and Kurdish MPs
considered Maliki visit to Kirkuk as a move against
Kurdish demands and alarmed all for the
consequences.
For me, it was like a show to tell Kurds that he has
power to attack Kurdistan anytime he wants and tells
the Kurdish leadership that they cannot challenge
him. Plus, his visit to Kirkuk and have his meeting
in a Kurdish neighborhood was another message to
Kurds that he is a sick minded man and has no
boundaries to use forces again. What was so funny
about Maliki air-force during his visit to Kirkuk
was they didn’t know how to land. In one case, the
helicopter landed on a car, and on the other case,
the helicopter landed inside Kirkuk Technique
institutes where all students busy with their study.
I doubt that he doesn’t mean to fight Kurds on
computer games because his forces is only suitable
for computer games or maybe he give the smile to the
people for his show. I recommend for next time if
want to produce a movie, it’s better to go to
disserts of Iraq where nobody can see his funny
shows.
What was so strange is he said something opposite
the Iraqi constitution when he described the
identity of Kirkuk as “Iraqi”. Kirkuk according to
the Iraqi constitution is a “disputed area” so
Maliki and any other officials have no right to
claim such statements. I just want to ask based on
what fact he claims Kirkuk is Iraqi? Where did he
get this Iraqi? History or small Arab population who
occupied our city for years or maybe he depends on
the fact that Arabs get 6 seats out of 41?!If he so
believe of the Iraqi identity of Kirkuk, why he
refuse democratic referendum and leave the final say
to the people?
I think this man is traumatized and is not educated
enough to run a country. Otherwise, he would respect
others and act according to the constitution and the
demands of people. He knows better than anyone else
that Kirkuk holds Kurdistani Identity, so why should
he has to make such claims if he doesn’t want to
show his aggression? In any case, war or peace,
Kurds get the city so easily and the looser would be
Anti-democracy front. The age of bombs and tanks
passed long times ago, if he ever want to challenge
Kurds, he can not do that now due to the large
supports for Kurds both inside and outside. Maliki
can not disrupt the economic booming and investment
in Kurdistan. Maybe he is so jealous for the KRG
progression while he can not even provide clean
water and electricity to his people with having
imaginary budget. Maliki is a prime minister of the
country that listed as number 4 in the transparency
international report for most corrupted countries in
the world. If he is so corrupted, how dare he
challenge Kurdistan where its people are now
experience a large economic prosperity?
Dear Maliki, I advise you to open your mind and shut
your mouth if you want to say what you have said
about Kirkuk yesterday. Your claim will never come
true even if we again go to the mountain. The
history cannot repeat itself in Kurdistan. The
critical thinking of each Kurdish citizens is equal
to hundred tanks that you proud of. Now, Kurds have
international support and we act based on facts
rather than terror, abusing power, or means of
violence. If you want to force Kurds and Kirkuk to
be Iraqi, you never achieve this dream and you
better keep sleeping because if you wake up, the
reality is far from what you have dreaming for, or
maybe you want to go to Kirkuk again, but couldn’t
since you may need Kurdistan visa.
Nabaz Shwany, Bachelor in Politics and
International Relations at the University of
Kurdistan-Hewler. Currently, he is a Master student
at the school of Government and International
Studied, Public Management Department, University of
Utara, Malaysia. Nabaz Shwany is a regular
contributing writer for Ekurd.net, May 10, 2012.
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