By Amed Demirhan

Today most experts agree that the current state system in the Middle East that has been created since World War One is not sustainable. For almost one hundred years, the state system delivered massacres, genocides, deportations, global discrimination, and poverty for Kurdistan. In addition, this failed Middle East state system in last 40 -50 years has generated terrorism, radicalism and instability on a global scale. During this time the level of severity of conflict has systematically increase to the point that some people and states actually see Al Qaida in Syria as less radical compared to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) which is very dangerous attitude. According to the Institute for Economics and Peace 2015 Global Peace Index; the world is increasingly becoming les peaceful and the Middle East and North Africa is the worst particularly since 2008.

As Vice President Joseph Biden in his recent visit to Baghdad stated to the American officials: “Think of all the places we are today trying to keep the peace,” he said. “All the places we’ve sent you guys and women. They’re places where, because of history, we’ve drawn artificial lines, creating artificial states made up of totally distinct ethnic, religious, cultural groups…. ‘we say Have at it. Live together.” In addition to artificial borders, one of the biggest sources of the above problem has been pseudo modernist ideologies that super imposed uniformity in historically diverse populations, cultures, languages and religions. All of those ideologies that were sources of the current state system are failed except Iran who has regenerated its past imperial ideology with the Shia Islamic revolution. But for more than 36 years, the nations have been challenged with integrating Iran into the world system.

The challenge is how to make this transition more amicable and as smooth as possible. Kurdistan and the Middle East have been suffering from the existing system since its creation; therefore, we must look to alternative conflict resolutions beyond force and violence. Today in the Middle East context President Masoud Barzani of Kurdistan provides the best hope to safeguard the best possible transition.

Why President Masoud Barzani? First, as one who was born in the Kurdistan liberation movement in 1946 in Republic of Kurdistan -Muhabad and has witnessed genocides, deportations, pain and sufferings of his own family members and millions of Kurds and Kurdistanis, he never expressed ethnic, cultural, or religious hatred against anyone. He has always been for peace and forgiveness. This shows his emotional maturity, character, and intelligence.

Second, he has been a strong advocate of ethnic, religious, cultural diversity and co-existence in Kurdistan. As a result even before attack of ISIL; religious minorities in the rest of Iraq were seeking refuges in Kurdistan. As reported by the Voice of America in in November 14, 2012. In May 5th 2016 it was first Jewish Remembrance Day for the victims of the holocaust in Kurdistan organized by no other than Kurdistan Regional Government the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs Kurdish Jewish Representative Office under leadership of Sherzad Mamsani.

As Gus Bilirakis the Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida stated in his recent article; “The Kurds now formally recognize eight religious minorities, giving them a voice and an avenue for official cooperation within government.” This is a very unique example in whole Muslim Middle East and North Africa where the biggest massacres and genocides are committed on the name of religion.

In one sense, Barzani is the antithesis of the dominant Middle Eastern ideologies since the last century that has caused so much pain and suffering to the region. This attitude of Barzani is nothing new; it has been part of the Barzani family philosophy and Sufi tradition for centuries that was developed in the Barzan Medrese—the traditional Kurdish school—since 1700s. It is important to know Barzan Mederes which developed many distinguish Kurdish spiritual leaders has a very rich heritage. Therefore, these ideas are ingrained in their education, culture, and tradition.

Kurdistan and the Middle East are very fortunate to have this alternative tradition. For example, the oldest uncle of President Barzani who was one of the distinguished national leaders of Kurdistan in the early 1900s at one point was nicknamed “Christian Sheik” by the religious zealots. According to the British diplomat Ian M. Smith reporting from Kurdistan in May 16, 1914, some other Kurdish chiefs called Sheik Abdul Selam Barzani “Christian Sheik” as a term of disparagement, as he had the reputation of treating the Christian in his district with fairness and tolerance” (p. 652)i In Barzan for centuries, Jews, Christians and Muslims were living side by side and their places of worship were next to each other. It is this milieu that has influenced a culture of co-existence for centuries.

Third, the Barzan tradition of co-existence is not limited to peoples, cultures, ethnicities, and religions. It actually extends to nature and animals. In the Barzan area, protection of flora and fauna—on land or in the water—is a long tradition and the principles were created by the Barzani family spiritual leadership; despite the towns have been destroyed 16th times in last century by the successive Iraqi government. Therefore, today Barzan is considered environmentally the best-preserved region in Kurdistan and, perhaps, in the entire Middle East.

In short, it is in the best interest of the people of Kurdistan and the international community to support President Barzani safeguarding a just and humane tradition and of leading the way to a peaceful Middle East. An independent Kurdistan, under leadership of President Barzani, will be an example of peaceful co-existence, preservation of nature, and a bastion of freedom.

Amed Demirhan, MLIS., MADR
Author is recipient of multiple international awards in the field of academic libraries. His academic background includes a Master of Arts Degrees in Library Information Science (MALIS) and a Master of Art in Dispute Resolution, a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a Minor in Spanish all from United States. He is fluent in English, Kurdish (Native), Swedish, Turkish, functional in Spanish, and has reading knowledge in Arabic

E-mail: ameddemirhan@hotmail.com