Christians of Iraq
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Christians of Iraq
Contact Links Historical articles Historical pictures Photos of Bombed Churches Home Only this link has access to all News articles
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Asking for Equal rights is considered racist by the Kurdish Regional Government May 30, 06
In mid may the Assyrian Democratic Movement held a meeting in Baghdad to discuss the overall political situation in Iraq, specifically the state of the Assyrians including; 'Chaldean and Syriacs', in that country. During the last elections despite efforts by the KDP against it, the Assyrian Democratic Party won enough votes to represent the christians in the parliament. However The Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq has refused to recognize and work with it, instead it has appointed unelected individuals who are members of the Kurdish Democratic Party who are identified as 'Christian Officials' to function as the leaders and representatives of the Assyrian Christians. With their help the KDP plans to dominate the community and do with it as it pleases. In previous elections it prevented the Assyrian inhabitants of several towns from exercising their voting rights and terrorized the community when it protested. Kurds clearly do not have the best interest of the Christians of Iraq, their actions during the last few years have proven this. Unless more attention is paid by the outside world to the plight of the Assyrians in Iraq they will continue to suffer.
The leaders of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) led by Masoud Barzani, backed by the Kurdish Democratic Party militia, (KDP), justify their actions against the Assyrian Democratic Party by accusing it of being racist because in their words; "it stands against the rights and aspirations of the Kurdish people." How can the Assyrian Democratic party who has no militia, financial, or political power stand "against the rights and aspirations of the Kurdish people", especially when Kurdish Regional Government, and its aspirations are backed and supported by a well armed 80,000 men Kurdish militia and controls most financial resources in northern Iraq. Kurds already dominate the region militarily, and economically and have imposed their will on others, Their authority has been acknowledged by the Iraqi government, and play an important role in that country's politics. What else do they want? The enslavement of the non Kurds?.
Evidently asking for equal rights by the non-Kurds is considered racist by the Kurdish government and its KDP militia, masquerading as a political party. Treating others as enemies and fabricating false accusations against them is how the world famous dictators justified their atrocities against others.
The following news article written by a Kurdish journalist shows that Kurds are in conflicts not only with non-Kurds in northern Iraq also with Turkey and Iran. Such adventurism could easily spin out of control and have tragic consequences for all involved.
Residents in North Unite Against Sectarian Conflict May 27, 06
SULAIMANIYA (IRIN) -- Kurds, Turcomans and Christians from northern Iraq have established independent organizations that aims to reduce the influence of sectarian militias operating in the area.
[note; While other ethnic groups in northern Iraq are identified by their correct name there seems to be a policy not to mention the Assyrians, instead they are called Christians. Why discriminate against them? Equal treatment requires they, like others, be recognized by their ethnic identity rather than their religion. Refusal to do so can be interpreted as an attempt to not acknowledge their existence to make it easier for the Kurds to dispossess them of their identity and rights. Why not refer to the Kurds and Turkomen as Muslims if it is proper to identify Assyrians by their religion,?]
Two of the organizations are the mixed Peace Union for Iraqis(PUI) and the Kurdish Autonomous Freedom Organization (KAFO).
"Iraqis in the region have begun to unite, without consideration of ethnic background, to prevent sectarian violence from spreading," said PUI member Dorah Muhammad, 38, from a village in northern Kurdistan near the Turkish border. "And we're asking the government to take action to clamp down on the militias."
The newly-formed organizations, whose members include politicians and civil society activists, aim to inform the public that ethnic strife will only serve to delay national unification and development. One way they hope to do this is by reaching out to school children by offering lessons and presentations on human rights and coexistence.
[ The fact that this organization will teach the Children rather than the militias and their leaders abut how to prevent ethnic strife means it takes the easy way out so that it will not antagonize anyone. How can school children reduce ethnic strife in northern Iraq when confronted by well armed militias determent to impose their will on others. Such democratic lessons should be taught to the leaders of the Kurdish Regional Government who are chieftains of the KDP the most powerful militia in the region. They should be asked to honor the "rights and aspirations" of the non-Kurd minorities. Given the KRG tendency to consider any request for rights by non-Kurds as "racist and against the rights and aspirations of the Kurdish people" one has to wonder if they are willing to listen to reason.]
The initiatives come in the wake of recent fighting on the Turkish side of the border between the Turkish military and dissident Kurdish groups. "Militias have hijacked the peace ever since they began fighting across the border with the Turkish Army, which is looking to protect itself from insurgents inside Iraq," said Dorah. "In the end, though, this only caused more internal conflict."
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is working in partnership with the local community on the issue, in an effort to prevent an escalation of sectarian violence between Iraqi Kurds and ethnic Arabs. "We will not allow ethnic differences to destroy security in Kurdistan," said senior KRG official Kalif Dirar. "And we'll do whatever is required to continue being the safest place in this country."
[ Kurdistan is a new name which Kurds have imposed on northern Iraq. Kurdish Regional Government can easily prevent such conflicts by refraining to deprive the non-Kurds from their equal rights, land , and stop treating them as uninvited guests in their own land.]According to Dirar, the semi-autonomous Kurdistan government is working with residents to disband the militias currently contributing to the tension on the borders with Iran and Turkey. "The local people are aware of the dangers of sectarian differences,"
[ The author fails to mention that these militias are Kurds who want to expand Kurdish rule to Turkey and Iran, perhaps even syria. While Kurds have a tendency to call wherever they live as Kurdistan they tend to do it at the espnse of the none Kurds who have lived there long before them.] "
Many Sunni and Shi'ite Arabs in Kurdistan [northern Iraq] have also joined the cause. In the northern city of Kirkuk, however, such proposals have met with less success, due to ethnic tension arising from the outstanding land disputes that resulted from the "Arabisation" pogrom of former president Saddam Hussain.
[Now that Saddam's Arabization no longer exist, and Kurds have succeeded to drive out thousands of Arabs out of Kirkuk, the Barzai's Kurdification has taken its place. According to the latest news reports Kurds are planning to force Mosul under their control just as they did with Kirkuk. In reality US has removed one authoritarian regime in Iraq but has replaced it with another, and has no power nor inclination of stopping the KRG from oppressing others, because it needs the help of the Kurdish militia to deal with insurgency.]