Are You Kurdish?!

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The Kurdish poet Abdullah Koran lived and died belonging to a thought and culture that opposed two things: racism and exploitation. Both were a journey of life that he began as a boy who longed for poetry and sang the Arabic mu'allaqat, and ended up becoming the Sheikh of Kurdish poets, gifting us with his great mu'allaqa "My Arab Brother": "My Arab brother, O you with the black eyes, bitter was your share, bitter was my share. We have both tasted the bitterness from the same cup, and our brotherhood has become sweet honey." Abdullah Koran, like all Iraqis, dreamed of a society of brotherhood and love, and a national discourse that unites Iraqis. He told Al-Jawahiri one day, while they were establishing the Peace Supporters Movement along with Sheikh Abdul Karim Al-Mashita: "Perhaps we will not be able to live in a prosperous democratic society, but we must establish this society for future generations." Koran did not expect that one day a political analyst, "Abbas Ghadeer," would appear on the screen of one of the satellite channels mocking the word "Kurdish." For years, this country has lived under political gatherings aimed at preventing it from enjoying stability. We have seen mockery directed at Shiites with words that cannot be written, and a group blaming the Sunnis of Iraq for the crimes of the Ba'ath regime, while some still consider our Kurdish brothers as "rebels." We have witnessed someone boldly stating that he refuses to allow a Sunni or Kurdish citizen to take on security responsibilities, even if they are honest and dedicated to serving their country, as the analyst believes that a Shiite, even if a thief, is the best. Meanwhile, we have seen slogans like "Baghdad is Sunni and there is no place for Shiites in it." There are rounds and rounds calling for the erasure of the other from the map, as they cause them headaches and palpitations in memory. I remembered the "brilliant" political analyst who mocked his Kurdish colleague as I listened to the speech of the President of the Kurdistan Region delivered in Baghdad on the occasion of Sovereignty Day. A speech in clear, correct, and precise Arabic, while the rules of language were absent from the words of our leaders who sing about the Day of the Arabic Language, as we found someone dragging the accusative and raising the genitive. Nechirvan Barzani chose to talk about true sovereignty, not the sovereignty of slogans and songs of fateful battles, sovereignty that means serious respect for state institutions and the constitution, placing the decision of war and peace in the hands of the state, and striving for a bright future of development for generations, so that we do not pass on our sectarian conflicts and wars to them. Nechirvan Barzani is approaching his 60th year, an Iraqi Kurdish politician without enemies, without wars, without conflicts of interest. In his life record, we read a journey of life in struggle, politics, and construction. Nechirvan Barzani lived an exciting life; at the age of nine, he found himself repeating the experience of his ancestors in migrating from his country due to the tyranny of central governments. He decided to make politics his profession and a science he sought in the corridors of universities, and a daily practice through participating in the management of the region and building its institutions. His political affairs and responsibilities in the region did not distract him from the pleasure of studying global experiences, adding to what he observes in the countries of the world something of his energies in work and achievement. Every day, a "lightweight" political analyst comes out to say with a smile: there is no place for those who do not believe in our beliefs. Unfortunately, they want us to be preoccupied with the stories of Abbas Ghadeer and his ilk, to serve as a substitute for the future. What is the use of development and construction? The important thing is "dignity," even if it leads to the loss of the future.