Separation or Unity in 1001 Words

Dr. Kamal Artin | Exclusive to iKurd.net

Unity is noble and leads to great achievements, yet separation might be nobler. No sane person breaks a fair relationship, and no healthy partner keeps a discriminating one. A submissive partner might tolerate an abusive union and keep quiet to prevent traditional shaming. Modernity and confidence allow individuals not to give credence to such outdated traditions.

Traumatized, dependent, and submissive individuals might be respectful, abide rules, avoid change, and keep quiet even in a troubled relationship; their partner might present a shiny or spiritual picture of the partnership and bribe doubters to be quiet. Similarly, an abusive government might invite ignorant journalists and celebrities for a visit, fool or force them to follow its rules and describe its primitive policies as acceptable cultural norms, and if discrepancies are found to deny or minimize, while making empty promises for change.

Anyone with self-respect will not tolerate discrimination. In a free society no one can take advantage of an independent individual (except tax authorities). Even flawed individuals are warned respectfully to behave otherwise they will be punished financially or sent to a comfortable jail; they in return have the option to show the hand’s digit III to the authority without fear of being hanged.

In advanced societies people are free to leave partnerships individually and unions groupwise via a referendum. In traditional society liberty is taboo so the public shames individuals who leave relationships or minorities who show digit III to central powers. Often such societies survive on two taboos: never question territorial integrity and never question the creator’s will even if such imaginary creator was created by a real creator.

Traditional societies often are led by psychopathic men and so the rights of women and other minorities are considered insignificant. Of course, not all traditional men are criminals. To their credit most have moralistic views to support the weak. Unfortunately, their support is not based on understanding equality. It is based on perception that they are already better and serving the weak makes them to be perceived as best. In an extreme form of self-appreciation, they perceive themselves as supreme and if in a leadership position they call themselves a supreme leader.

I lived under the rules of a supreme leader for few years. I was ordered who to be, what language to use officially, what to wear, whom to associate with, and even what to eat or drink. Most people cope with such rules; those who cannot, are punished socially, financially, and physically.

The best even loses lives for it. Some selfish ones who couldn’t cope, me included, were lucky and escaped the hell created by the supreme leader and associates. Reportedly since then things have changed.

With the help of national and international businesses, the supreme leader registered his territory as Incorporated Supreme Leader & Associated Members (unless peaceful, don’t abbreviate please). The financial world accepted and welcomed the new corporation as a crime partner.

Meanwhile the new corporation became stronger; used money at home for more suppression and abroad for more manipulation. The supreme leader turned messiah to the financially weak and ideologically superstitious. Even many foreign celebrities and politicians, whose fame depends on being perceived as greatest by the weakest, joined the club.

Despite the shiny and spiritual appearance at home and appeasing attitude of foreign powers abroad, the oppressed tried to break the walls of hell with no avail. Then in September 2022 there was a thunder. Financially weak yet morally strong youth awakened many. A reginal renaissance started questioning the validity of 14-century long imposed superstitions. The renaissance started with the murder of a young woman, Jina, who is called by the ignorant fools Mahsa.

Protesters hold a banner with the slogan in Kurdish “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (Woman, Life, Freedom) as they take part in a rally in support of the demonstrations in Iran over the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, in Berlin, October 22, 2022. Photo: AFP

These fools shout, “say her name”, yet they say Mahsa instead of Jina. Some even refuse to say the main slogan of the renaissance in its original language, as if this language is a taboo.

Some have translated Jin, Jyan, Aazadi to woman, life, freedom instead of woman, life, liberty. It seems they accept freedom from the current oppressor but liberty from many other chains is still a taboo.

While the renaissance movement has continued, so has suppression, incarceration, and murder. The movement has slowed down. Also, disagreement among factions has put the unity at risk.

Some members of the dominant culture insist to unite to end oppression while saving the territorial integrity. Some believe territorial integrity is a taboo and need to be broken to unite voluntarily. Of course, for the supreme leader and other semi-racist people whether left or right this is a NO-NO matter. I can’t understand why control over a bigger part of land is more important than self-determination right.

In contrary to the above group, many members of minority groups believe all citizen of a country deserve the same rights. These include gender, religious, and ethnic minorities who believe they deserve the right to determine their own destiny to unite or not to unite with the current or a future potential oppressor. They argue the taboo of territorial integrity should be broken so the individuals, states, and regional areas decide what is best for them.

In short, the sooner the taboo of territorial integrity is broken, the sooner a healthy union will be built. No separation from a fair union and no unity with an unfair partner is justified. For unity to be fair, the well-off partner needs to apologize for past misbehavior and declare: I like your voluntary union because it makes me better and full.

The disadvantaged partner should accept own flaws and declare I like to be on my own, but I need your support to be as strong as you are and once there, I can still leave or stay so together we could show others unity is more advantageous. Such a union might start with negotiation between 9 to 21 temporary council members including president, prime minister, queen or king. Hopefully a secular Baluchi woman leads such a council as its president or symbolic queen.

Kamal Artin, MD; 12-15-22; Background: Kermashan Jamea High School, University of Zurich, San Diego
University of California, Johns Hopkins University, University of Southern California, and in Private
Practice for over 2 decades with his loving dog, Dr. Fluffy. Former host of Dangi Be Dangan in Zurich, former president of KAES and KNCNA.

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