Living in the Kurdistan region for last three and half years
gave me opportunity to see and understand the culture and the nation of Kurds
closely which was all in stories of been a rebellious and militants in fight
with IRAQ.
If we study few hundred years
back and do analysis, the Kurds having been a nation of peace, harmony and pride.
We see a big series of eminent personalities emerging from this small nation
and serving the humanity in different field. Starting from Salah-ud-Din Yusuf
ibn Ayyub known as Salah ud Din (conqueror of Jerusalem) his army defeated the
Crusaders at the decisive Battle of Hattin in 1187, leading the way to the
Muslims' re-capture of Palestine from the Crusaders who had conquered it 88
years earlier.
Iraqi Kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970
agreement with the Iraqi government, and its status was re-confirmed as an
autonomous entity within the federal Iraqi republic in 2005.
Kurds have been living mostly in
northern Iraq and its bordering countries which are Iran, Turkey, Jordon and
Syria. McDowall has estimated that in 1991 the Kurds comprised 19% of the
population in Turkey, 23% in Iraq, 10% in Iran, and 8% in Syria.
Massoud Barzani is the President
of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP). I would rank Massoud Barzani as a Father of new Kurdish Nation working
hard to build this part of Iraq called Kurdistan compromising of three governorates
Erbil, Sulymania and Dohuk compromising an total area of 40,643 square kilometers
and total population of 3.7 million.
In last five years there is a massive improvement in terms
of security and investment to this part of Iraq. It only happened because of
the leadership and the willingness to do. All the hard work in past 20 years
has started giving the results and only in last three years there is more than
9 billion dollar investment in Erbil governorate.
Kirkuk, a vital governorate of
Iraq comprising of Kurds and Arabs was a disputed region due to oil rich land
was evacuated during the invasion of ISIS (Islamic state of Iraq and sham (Syria)).
Right now Kurdish forces (Peshmerga) have the control as the Iraqi Army fled
the posts. Eventually Kurdish forces want to secure the community and take
control of the areas on which dispute was for couple of decades.
Right now the situation is still deteriorating and Ex-Iraqi
PM Maliki is not willing to leave the seat and rather looking forward for the
third term, which doesn’t seem to become a reality.
Massoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan
region, has said in an interview that the U.S. and Turkey are unlikely to
oppose the declaration of an independent Kurdish state.
Anticipating reaction from Washington and Ankara, Barzani
told Germany’s Die Welt: “I do not expect active assistance or resistance.”
As president of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG),
Barzani two weeks earlier called on the Kurdish Parliament in Erbil to work on
fixing a date for a referendum on independence.
He told the German daily: “People can only live together
voluntarily, not under compulsion”.
“Not long ago, talking about the independence of Kurdistan could
have landed you in jail. Independence is the natural right of every nation,”
Barzani said.
He stressed that the KRG had
become a safe haven for other communities fleeing the violence. “Thousands have
fled, especially Christians. Where ISIS establishes a Caliphate, their lives
are in danger. We protect our minorities against these terrorists”.
I personally stand up for the
cause of Kurdish separate country as Kurds have proved with actions that yes
they can safe guard the land, people and promote multi-religion community
already living in peace, love and harmony wish a very good luck to the Kurds
people for the upcoming important events and will vote for them if given a
chance.
Long Live Kurdistan, Long Live Peace
Nice, well written thoughts.
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