Kurds' struggle among Arabs, Turks, and Persians

Serwan Zangana | Exclusive to iKurd.net

As the Israeli-Hamas war has been stretching over a year now, and more people are dying as a result of this war, should Kurds back the Palestinians and hail Palestine? Should the religion of Islam, as the faith of the majority of the Kurds, connect them with the Palestinians? Indeed, the Kurds have been suffering under the chauvinism of Islamic Arab, Turkish, and Persian rulers.

Throughout history, Kurds’ right to an independent nation has been opposed by the regional regimes, and such opposition has often turned to genocide. Apparently, living in a region surrounded by Arabs, Turks, and Persians, Kurds have not passed the genocide threat yet. Therefore, Kurds are under an imminent threat from the neighboring countries and Islamic radical groups in the region.

The Arab countries have not supported Kurds’ rights to an independent or even an autonomous government. Kurds should understand that aligning with Palestinians and opposing Israel is a complete distraction from their own case in the region. In fact, the critical situation, politically and geographically, of Kurdistan has always created crises for Kurds, and continuously, such crises will ascend to different levels based on the political maneuvers of the region’s nations.

Seemingly, Arabs in the region are Kurds’ friends until the red light turns on at the no-crossing zone, which is the independence and sovereignty of Kurdish ethnicity. The Arab and Islamic regimes are not serving the interests of Kurds. For example, for many years, Iraqi Kurds suffered under the former regime of Saddam Hussein as he led genocides, including chemical attacks, but the Arab countries did not speak out and condemn such heinous acts.

Iraqi Kurdish uprising against the Saddam Hussein regime Ranya city, Iraqi Kurdistan — Iraqi Kurdish uprising against the Baath regime Ranya city, Iraqi Kurdistan March 5, 1991. Photo: Archive

In 1991, after the Kurdish uprising in Iraqi Kurdistan and the withdrawal of the Iraqi troops from the region, a Kurdish member of the Iraqi Communist Party stated that the chauvinistic mindset of Arabs, even as they were in the same political party, did not accept the idea of Kurdistan being linked to the party’s name. He said that speaking of Kurdistan as an independent region was an agitated subject for the Arabs in the party, and indeed, according to them, such an idea was against the principles of Communism.

The political ideology and radical Islam have had negative impacts on Kurdish nationalism in the region. By opposing Kurds’ rights to an independent or self-governing system, neither political ideology nor radical Islam was able to bridge the gap between Arabs and Kurds in the region in the past. Now, to a certain degree, the political rights of Kurds have become a reality for Arab governments, which means regardless of efforts to downplay the Kurds’ role in the region and their impact on many occurrences, Kurds are a major part of the Middle East and West Asia.

Since the corrupt leaders of Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan are becoming more obvious every day, the region may be susceptible to collapse. However, the U.S. has been holding the pillars of the Kurdistan region to prevent such a collapse. But isn’t there a time limit for every U.S. foreign policy?

As the inauguration of Trump is approaching, the mix of fear and hope is increasing for Kurds

Since he was elected as president, Donald Trump has not mentioned Kurds in general, and the Syrian Kurds in particular, after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. In the U.S., the left and the right are waiting for him to assume the duty and sign his executive orders. It is noteworthy that Trump is planning to sign 100 executive orders starting on day one. The right is looking for Trump to honor his promises, and the left is ready to oppose him, or perhaps, he reneges on his promises.

Overall, Kurds are worrying about the possibility of a worst-case scenario that could happen with Trump moving to the office on January 20th, which is the withdrawal of U.S. troops completely from Syria. As the Kurds in northeastern Syria are facing an unknown future, Turkey is sharpening its teeth awaiting Trump’s decision regarding his support of the Syrian Kurds.

Trump promised the American voters that he will put efforts into stopping the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas wars and strive for peace. But what about Kurdish allies in Syria, as they are in need of American support militarily and financially? “The key factor of stabilization in this area is the U.S. presence on the ground,” Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said.

But Trump posted on his Truth Social network that, “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend.” However, Trump did not specify who is not the U.S.’s friend, because the Syrian Kurds are considered the U.S.’s friends.

He also posted another statement that is more concerning: “THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Trump said. This statement is reminiscent of President George H.W. Bush’s abandonment of Iraqi Kurds in 1991, which resulted in the crushing of the revolt by the former Iraqi military and the killing and displacement of thousands of Kurds.

Trump has an ethical obligation to support Kurds in Syria.

The regime change in Syria is raising awareness for Kurds and, in fact, for other minorities in the country as well. Shifting from the Arabic Baathist Party to a government led by Islamic authority should have Kurds alerted. President Trump is facing an ethical and historical test, which is an unwavering support for Kurds.

Kurds have been an effective and loyal ally to the U.S., and this can be observed with Iraqi Kurds. For example, after the U.S. liberation of Iraq in 2003, and freeing the Kurds and Arab Shia from the brutality of Saddam Hussein, Kurds continued aligning with the U.S. Conversely, the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr established the Mahdi Army in 2003, a militia that waged war against the U.S. The fight mostly took place in Sadr City of Baghdad and the city of Najaf.

However, the U.S. has relied on Kurds to fight and lead against terrorist groups and militias in various areas in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. troops’ withdrawal in Syria would create a humanitarian crisis and devastate the region. Also, remember that modern Turkish politicians’ merciless mentality is no different from the Islamic empire of Ottoman rulers. Trump has an ethical obligation to support Kurds and provide protection with the U.S. troops in Syria.

Serwan Zangana, a contributing writer for iKurd.net, lives in Virginia, U.S. He serves as a correction officer.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of iKurd.net or its editorial team.