THE KURDISH LEADERSHIP: A POLICY OF SUPPRESSION

The Kurds brag about assigning the Assyrians five seats in the regional parliament, but they do not talk about that they have manipulated the process where they control the elections of 1992 in a manner by which they had a control over the fifth seat through the puppet so-called Kurdistan Christian United List organization. It is outrageous how the Kurd-s refer to this assignment process as a favor done to the Assyrians! Let the Kurds understand that this is not a favor as they claim rather a legitimate right the Assyrians have in their ancestral lands. Today, the Kurds continue to declare that Assyrians make only 3% (making the Assyrians, amazingly, half of the Turkomans population) when they know very well that the Assyrians clearly make 5-6% of the Iraqi population.

From the latest release of the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) of Nov 8, 2002, it becomes obvious that the Kurds are continuing in their old evil ways and that the Assyrians’ rights in northern Iraq is not even a whistle in the Kurd-s Opera. The approval that came from the north Iraq regional parliament for the two Kurdish parties (KDP) and (PUK) proposed constitutions, defines the reality that Assyrians must find an alternative route to deal with the Kurds. It seems to me that to rely on the Kurds’ any longer is clearly a national suicide. I do understand that the Kurds- constitution proposals were approved by the Kurds themselves in a parliament that they control undisputedly and I understand that these proposals might not even see the light since there are other sides in the Iraqi opposition equation on top of foreign influence that might change things, still, the Kurds- actions, proposals and approval translates to intents of ill treatment, unfairness, and suppressio! ! n, among other things and that is the important point.

Yes, a very active segment in our society does deplore such treatment and expresses its rage from such oppressive activities and release them on our local web sites, but what next? Who is listening to our cry? The Kurds understand that all this is harmless, because we continue to operate like amateurs whose directionless voices have been lost in the abyss of the web. It is obvious that in today-s world politics, those people who make much noise get somewhere and that is why the west today has been, and for the last 11 years, speaking of the Kurds- and not the Assyrians- cause. While we were speaking and arguing among ourselves, the Kurds were knocking on the doors of the White House, the Congress, and speaking to world leaders. Today we finally read an official release from the ADM pleading for justice but is that enough? Someone told me yesterday that he was expecting a demonstration by Assyrians in north of Iraq in front of the Northern Iraq Regional Parliament! He said, ! ! the Kurds could not do the Assyrians more harm that they have already, especially when the world is watching today. If we in the free west are not doing much for the Assyrians in north of Iraq, should we expect much from the ADM than their moderate release? If we cannot mobilize the 2 million Assyrians in the free west to bring our voice to the civilized world, do we then have the right to demand more from the few hundred thousands divided Assyrians in northern Iraq living among some three to four million generally hostile Kurds?

So what next?

Few have argued that the Assyrian leadership in northern Iraq have failed to invest in the Assyrians- own power, regardless to the population figures, and that they have entrusted the Assyrians- future in the hands of their prosecutors and today we are logically paying the price! These few rely on examples around the world of small populations, yet strong people, living in the middle of a hostile region dominated by their enemies. If that was the case, then one has to ask why then did we fail and how would we rectify that?

This question should be directed to us in the Diaspora. Indeed, I turn to us and ask: What is with this inconceivably chilling reaction towards our own people in our ancestors- land? It is us who are supposed to empower our people in northern Iraq. How could we remain so damn cold-blooded while our own people are crying loudly for help? One has to give credit for individuals like Dr. Ron Michael and others who established the Assyrian American League (AAL), but is that enough? Where are we, the Assyrian masses in the Diaspora from all of this? If we cannot organize few protest campaigns in North America, Europe and Australia to reflect to the civilized world the Kurdish repeated suppression of the Assyrians, shouldn’t we then stop this inner-community cry out that is going nowhere? What would it take to make us care? A repeated Simele!

Fred Aprim
California