The Kurds Support The Free World

Shakhawan Shorash | Exclusive to iKurd.net

In general, the Kurds are a people who, despite their own Islamist difficulties, support freedom of expression and democratic principles. This likely has to do with their long struggle for freedom.

Following the recent Macron-Erdogan quarrel, it was surprising that some members of the Kurdish parliament were concerned and nearly supported Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the conflict that followed the assassination of the French middle-school teacher Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a suburb of Paris. President Emmanuel Macron in his speech attacked Islamic fanaticism and promised to take strict measures against radical Islamists and cut foreign support after the teacher’s killing.

The Kurds themselves are victims of Islamic terrorism. Islamist jihadists have committed massacres against ethnic groups and especially the Yazidis. Currently, the Kurds are being attacked daily by the Islamists in Kirkuk and elsewhere.

The Kurds’ support and understanding for Macron’s concern would therefore be expected. But these Kurdish MPs felt that Macron insulted their Muslim society because of his handling of the case and the fact that he supports the right to reprint the cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed.

Many Kurds were furious and very dissatisfied with their message to the French consulate general in Erbil. There are many who do not recognize the weak Kurdish parliament and also do not believe that these members represent the Kurdish people, since there are no free and democratic elections in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Charlie Hebdo's "prophet" Muhammad cartoon — Charlie Hebdo’s Muhammad cartoon. Photo: Charlie Hebdo

After the Kurdish uprising in 1991 in Iraqi Kurdistan, France has been an important Western country that has helped the Kurds. France has played a key role in the UN Security Council Resolution 688 and the establishment of a security zone of 36° in parts of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Kurds seem to not forget France in this regard. France has since supported the Kurds and provided humanitarian aid.

France, along with other Western countries, has also helped the Kurds in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) and they were one of the main reasons that the Kurds were able to defeat ISIS.

On the contrary, Turkey has violated all international rules regarding the sovereignty and self-determination of neighboring countries. Turkey oppresses the Kurds in Turkey and attacks them in Iraq and has occupied villages and large areas in the border area of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Turkey is attacking the Kurds in Rojava (northeastern Syria) and has occupied a large area there. Turkey has committed ethnic cleansing in Afrin and parts of the Rojava region. So, Turkey is definitely not a friend of the Kurds, and Erdogan appears to be concerned only with his own political interests.

The Kurds in Rojava have come up with a sort of democratic solutions in difficult circumstances, inside a conservative and religious region. Despite being surrounded by Shia and Sunni powers from all sides, they have managed to create self-government with a system that is secular and democratic in a Middle Eastern context.

Erdogan has hated this autonomy from the beginning and accused them of being infidels and terrorists. Erdogan was finally allowed to attack Rojava, occupy significant parts and commit ethnic cleansing, all thanks to Donald Trump’s friendship with the Turkish president.

There is no doubt that the majority of Kurds around the world support Macron and the West in this conflict, as they themselves are at war with ISIS and Erdogan’s Islamic warriors.

Shakhawan Shorash, BA and Master of political science from Southern University of Denmark and University of Copenhagen. A freelance writer concerning human right, genocide, ethnic conflicts, democratization and similar subjects. Shorash is an occasional contributing senior writer for iKurd.net, See below.

The opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of iKurd.net or its editors.