Will the Kurds ever get a homeland of their own? From the almost unanimous global opposition to the proposed referendum, it appears freedom is still an elusive dream. Denying Kurds the fundamental right of freedom should have been alarming. In reality, the world would rather see the referendum to be postponed, if not altogether scraped. This is despite the non-binding nature of the outcome, whatever it might be. Iran, Iraq and Turkey have forged an uncomfortable alliance against the referendum — and one can understand their apprehensions — but the United States has also been vocal about its disdain. The UN Security Council also adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the vote. The referendum, if held on the appointed date, will most likely result in an overwhelming “Yes.” The pseudo-independence could become another nightmare, adding to the agony piled up during the last hundred years.
There is a cardinal flaw in the current exercise as it is largely limited to the Iraqi territory. In an ideal situation, there needs to be a fully independent Kurdish state comprising of the present-day areas of Iraq, Iran, Syria and the south-eastern regions of Turkey. All of the states that Kurds live in have persecuted them in one way or another. Saddam Hussein is much maligned and Turkey takes the heat but Iran is the biggest oppressor of contemporary times. Kurds have been able to assert their identity in Turkey, despite the lingering discrimination. Post-Saddam Iraq has enabled them to forge their own, autonomous identity. It also helped the Shiite-led Iraqi government was too busy oppressing the Sunnis to focus its energies on the Kurds. Assad has also tolerated the quasi-independence of the Kurdish regions of Syria, as long as they’re not aiming the guns at him.
Iran is a curious exception. Outside its territory, it is aiding the Iraqi Kurds — as long as they are eager to do its bidding. Iran offered refuge to the Kurdish leadership during the troubles with Saddam. It was also Iran that decimated the Republic of Mahabad as soon as it was able to gain some strength post-WWII. Since then, the Iranian Kurds have been at the receiving end. The mullahs have proven to be more brutal than the Shah, perpetuating deep-rooted discrimination, summary executions; and denial of religious and social freedoms. Given the historical precedent of having an independent Kurdish republic in Iran, the first cry of freedom should rise from that region.
This brings us to the biggest culprit: the Kurdish leadership. Old hands like Massoud Barzani are not the true leaders of the Kurds when they tend to overlook the plight of their brethren in Iran and side with the same oppressors. A seemingly infinite greed for power could harm Kurdish interests in the long run.
Most galling is the opposition of the US, which has long relied on the Kurds to advance its agenda in the Middle East. Kurds are at the forefront in the fight against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. Before that, they led the opposition against Saddam. Kurds also acquiesced to the Israeli cause, as was once strongly advocated by the Americans. In return, they’ve not received much. American academia appears to be anti-independence. Same is the case with the think tanks. The International Crisis Group recently deliberated on how to mitigate the risks of the referendum, even when it is purely symbolical. The focus is on the fight against Daesh, which could take a hit due to diverted energies. Do Americans think of Kurds as politically expendable? In the same way as the Afghan Mujaheddin of the 1980s or other groups that were left high and dry? Early indications are not good.
Kurds make a key part of the social and ethnic fabric of the Middle East. They need to make peace with the Arabs. More importantly, Kurds need to join forces with the Iraqi and Syrian Sunnis if they want to hasten the process of freedom. Kurds and Sunnis in Iraq can come together in pursuing greater autonomy or preferably independence from the stranglehold of the “Southerners.” Thus a free Kurdistan should not only include Kirkuk or Kobani but also Aleppo, Mosul and Baghdad. An independent Kurdish-Arab state promising equal rights for all has become even more important.
The borders drawn by the colonial powers after the First World War were unnatural. Much blood has been spilled in defending them. The Kurds have been duped many times by these thankless powers. Perhaps the time has come to take their destiny into their own hands and using democratic means to achieve their ends. The referendum is a step in the right direction.