Rachel Avraham argues why the world should recognize an independent Kurdistan that would consist of territories in present day Iraq, Syria and Iran. Kurdish dissident proclaimed: “The easiest way to remove the Iranian dictatorial regime is to support nations that are suppressed by Iran like the Kurds, Balochis, Ahwaz Arabs, Turkmen and Azeris.”
For almost a century, the whole Middle East has been ruled by tyrants, who have made life for Middle Eastern minority groups horrific. One of the best ways to fight against this phenomenon is to support an independent Kurdistan. As Syrian Kurdish dissident Sherkoh Abbas stressed, “The Kurds will become a beacon of democracy. We have seen it in Iraqi Kurdistan, where they host and protect refugees.” According to an Arab Sunni source, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has murdered Sunnis that are hostile towards the Iranian regime. These Sunnis had nowhere to flee to. If an independent Kurdistan is established, it can be a haven for Sunnis and other peoples.
In addition, an independent Kurdistan would be a true ally for Israel and the West. Kurdish leader Arif Bawaecani related that there is already widespread support for an independent Kurdistan in Israel: “During the last few years, Israeli politicians from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to former President Shimon Peres to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman publicly advocated the creation of a Kurdish state.” Already, Israel buys Kurdish oil and should the Kurds gain statehood, Israel and the West can reap greater economic benefits via joint cooperation than they do presently.
An independent Kurdistan is the best way to halt Iranian aggression in the region. As we speak, one of the few things preventing the establishment of a Shia Crescent from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea and perhaps also the Red Sea is the existence of Iraqi Kurdistan. Bawecani told JerusalemOnline that “the Kurds have always resisted the Iranian regime and the Kurds have fought a long struggle against it. The easiest way to remove the Iranian dictatorial regime is to support nations that are suppressed by Iran like the Kurds, Balochis, Ahwaz Arabs, Turkmen and Azeris.”
However, the Iranian regime is not the only hostile force that would be put in check by the establishment of an independent Kurdistan. Abbas added: “An independent Kurdistan will create a buffer and will pressure all of the regional countries.” He stressed that aside from halting Iranian aggression, an independent Kurdistan can also hinder Neo-Ottoman ambitions and put pressure on Baathist elements alongside all of the Islamist groups. Bawecani added: “An independent Kurdistan means peace and quiet in this area in the Middle East. The Kurds want to live in peace.” He noted that they have been in the forefront in the struggle against ISIS, thus proving that they are a major asset for regional stability.
If the West does not help the Kurds to establish a state, there will be dangerous implications for regional stability. As Abbas told JerusalemOnline: “You cannot fix the whole country but you can fix a region at a time and the Kurds are a perfect candidate for that. If they don’t do that, then they will have to submit to the perceived winner, who is Iran. If the minorities don’t get support, they will have no choice but to submit to the winners for the alternative is genocide.”
Abbas reiterated that the Kurds were let down following the 2004 Qamishli Riots, the repression of the Green Movement in 2009 and the outbreak of the Syrian Revolution in 2011. He emphasized that the lack of a response in the international community sends a message to minorities in the region that the West “is not interested in their human rights and does not seek democracy.” He claimed that the second the West is no longer viewed as credible, the minorities will work with the regime in order to survive: “Many Christians in Syria work with Iran in order to preserve themselves. Same with some PKK elements. It is time for the international community to do something or Iran will solidify their threat.”
Jerusalemonline
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