If Nelson Mandela's wife Graça rose the Kurdish Flag; Rojava Kurds...

Omar Sindi | Exclusive to iKurd.net
Washington

The national flag symbolizes its people and it’s a common goal; a partisan flag it is just like a tribal flag, it symbolizes its single political ideology, it is fashionable to a clique-tribes leader on his own domain, in which ramifications are regressive. No Kurds’ political party should think they own the Kurdish people, nor try to impose its own abstract political platforms, there are empirical evidences that these types of dogma have failed through history. If the Rojava Kurds’ authority thinks that by not raising the Kurdish National Flag they’ll satisfy those who are against Kurdish aspiration, then they are self-delusional, this type of pandering will not satisfy the bunch of chauvinistic minds set against the Kurdish nation.

In the so called Turkish democracy, President Erdogan is now changing its constitution pursuant to his realpolitik, in order to strip the parliamentarian members from immunity whom he doesn’t like; it’s widely reported this action is against Kurdish deputies. He is adding more fuel to fire, to an already unprecedented situation. Only the Kurdish unity, along with good governing, can with stand this kind of pressure, and to counter xenophobic(s) with myopic visions of Kurdish-phobia. In 1925, Sheikh Said Piran raised the Kurdish Flag in Darhini, and in 1945 Peshawa Qazi Mohammed and General Mustafa Barzani raised the Kurdish Flag in the short lived republic of Mahabad. In 1938, the Kurdish poet Deldar wrote “Ey Raqib” while in jail- “The Kurdish youth are ready and prepared to give their life as supreme sacrifice Let no one say Kurds are dead, they are living They live and never shall we lower our flag.”

For example, in the United States there are many political parties; but there are two major dominant political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, the Democratic party’s symbol is a donkey and Republican party’s symbol is an elephant; but even both parties’ conventions or caucus’ or occasional party meeting gatherings, they only raise the United States flag; at the same time both political parties cannot overstep the US Constitution, nor party activists members’ be on the US government pay roll.

If one was to ask our martyrs, and our Peshmerga; they would all tell you that they fight and die for the national cause, not partisan politics; especially our brave women who fight and die on front lines; they amazed the world with their bravery throughout the Kurdish history; for example, Margaret George (Christian Kurd girl), Leyla Qasim, and last but not least, the Kobani hero Arin Mirkan, and many others…

In this fraught period, the Kurdish people are living in a purgatory state, their struggle is a fight for survival as a nation in a coherent geographical map, is a fight against injustice, is a fight for equality, universal human rights for all Kurdish people and people living in Kurdistan, is a fight against oppression, is a fight for Kurdish identity; a goal for a common principle, not a struggle based on demagoguery, the cynicism of impractical idealism. The autocratic systems in the Middle East are unraveling; the others are in deep economic trouble or are in deep political crises, as well.

“At the root of this emancipatory dispensation in a highly circumscribed society is the Öcalan-derived ideology, which is the driving force of the revolution. Given that Rojava is all but cut off from the world by the embargo and by war, the revolution itself is a triumph of will over circumstances. It is a testament to what the sheer force of will can accomplish. What Rojava lacks in an economy, it makes up for in consciousness, will, and ideology—or the Philosophy”- Kurdish Question

Kurdish female heroes Arin Mirkan, Margaret George Shello and Leyla Qasim — Kurdish female heroes (From left) Arin Mirkan, Margaret George Shello and Leyla Qasim. Photo iKurd.net/Wikipedia

There are many prima facie evidences that governing a state based on a particular ideology or a single political party role will fail. A nation’s institution must be evolutionary, not revolutionary. There are many empirical emblems, economically and politically the implementation of these systems have become autocratic and hereditary, for example, in Cuba under the Fidel Castro regime, Fidel was in power until he was unable to function then his brother Raul Castro stepped in. Zimbabwe was a bread basket in Africa, now under the autocratic system of Robert Mugabe, the people are suffering economically and politically, and last but not least the Kim dynasty in North Korea…

“political jargon, useful idiot is a term for people perceived as propagandists for a cause whose goals they are not fully aware of, and who are used cynically by the leaders of the cause.” – Wikipedia

It is abhorrent to see people to go to prison because of their political beliefs. “Prisoners of Conscience”, they are called. This anomaly is against international norms, so Abdullah Ocalan or his short name, “Apo”, should be no exception. He should be free, but the blame is partially his, while putting too much trust in the Hafiz Assad regime, and the members of Assad’s Family. As a Kurd, we all shall not forget the betrayal, so called the “Algier accord”. At the same time, it shall also be a lesson for political leaders.

The infamy of the 1975 “Algiers Agreement” between the dreaded man, the Shah of Iran, and the sadistic man, Saddam Hussein of Iraq; their abettors President Houari Boumedience, and his foreign Minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika. They all backstabbed the Kurdish liberation movement in Iraq under the leadership of late General Mustafa Barzani, even though Barzani had previously stated the Shah was not to be trusted, they had received the guarantee from the United States that the United States would be responsible for the Shah (at that time it was widely reported that autocratic Shah had contributed a big sum of money to Nixon’s presidential campaign) But it appeared that the guarantee was anecdotal, not empirical, between Richard Nixon’s administration, then foreign Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, and the Kurds Leaders. However at that time, Dr. Kissinger should’ve been ashamed of himself, he should not have played “Machiavellian politics” with the Kurdish nation, because the Kurdish people were struggling for their survival.

Jonathan C. Randal, a reporter for various media outlets for years and also an author of a book on Kurdish perspective “After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?” has studied and done extensive research on Kurdish issues; who has met many Kurdish leaders in Europe and in Kurdistan including Abdullah Ocalan. Mr. Randal did not appear to be impressed with Mr. Ocalan’s personality, or accolades his vision. And it doesn’t appear Mr. Ocalan is from a prominent family; he is a self-made character.

A National flag should represent the whole nation, not a single political party-political wrangling peacefully among various groups. It should be healthy politics, and it should be for the greater good. A Political party’s flag represents a single political ideology, and it is similar to a regressive tribal system. If Nelson Mandela’s wife, Graça, rose the Kurdish Flag; then the Rojava Kurdish should be given a choice of which flag they prefer, the national flag or a tribal flag!

Omar Sindi, a senior writer, analyst and columnist for iKurd.net, Washington, United States.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.