Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Lowering of Iraqi flag in Kirkuk further strains Kurd, Arab and Turkoman relations
Security, Politics
(DPA) -- The lowering of the Iraqi flag at the municipal building in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk about two weeks ago stirred tensions between Kurds on the one hand and Arabs and Turkuman on the other. While Arabs and Turkuman insisted on flying the flag, even over houses and stores in Kirkuk, 250 kilometres from the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Kurds have called for it to be lowered at all public buildings in the city.
Leader of the Arab Obeid Tribe and Chairman of the Arab Consultative Council (ACC) in Kirkuk, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Munshid al- Assy said that lowering the Iraqi flag from some public premises or not raising it at some parts of these buildings posed a risk to Kirkuk's national identity. "The flag is the base for national unity and co-existence among the different sects and religions," al-Assy said.
Turkuman Parliament Member for the Iraqi National Accord Front Fawzy Akram predicted serious consequences of what he described as "an illegal act," that was likely to "jeopardize the security situation in Kirkuk." For its part, the secular Turkuman National Party in Kirkuk issued a statement requesting an explanation, calling for the Iraqi flag to be flown over the municipality building, which symbolized the central authority.
"I would like to ask Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki whether lifting the flag is part of the four-way agreement," Akram wondered. The agreement was signed among the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Islamic Daawa party and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) on August 16 to revive the political process in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Kirkuk Governor Abdul-Rahman Mostafa confirmed that the local administration did not attempt to remove the flag. The municipality had replaced it with a new one as the old one wore out due to the environmental factors. Mostafa further criticized the media for raising the issue in a way that "offended" the local administration in Kirkuk.
Oil-rich Kirkuk is the centre of northern Iraq's oil industry. It is an ethnically mixed city of Kurds, Arabs, Turkuman and Christians. To ensure Arab control of Kirkuk's oil fields, successive governments in Baghdad have implemented a policy of deliberate Arabization of the city. The forced population movements and ethnic registration changes continued under former executed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, making it likely that there was no longer an official Kurdish majority in the city.
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Kurds sought to return to their original city, which caused disputes among the three sects. Kurdish parties have been pushing to make Kirkuk part of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. On February 5, the governmental Committee for the Normalization of Kirkuk decided to relocate Arabs to their places of origin in central and southern Iraq during the Saddam era and pay them compensation in return. Arabs in Kirkuk protested that decision considering it "a form of forced migration." A referendum on incorporating Kirkuk in the Kurdish autonomous region is scheduled for the end of 2007.
Leader of the Arab Obeid Tribe and Chairman of the Arab Consultative Council (ACC) in Kirkuk, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Munshid al- Assy said that lowering the Iraqi flag from some public premises or not raising it at some parts of these buildings posed a risk to Kirkuk's national identity. "The flag is the base for national unity and co-existence among the different sects and religions," al-Assy said.
Turkuman Parliament Member for the Iraqi National Accord Front Fawzy Akram predicted serious consequences of what he described as "an illegal act," that was likely to "jeopardize the security situation in Kirkuk." For its part, the secular Turkuman National Party in Kirkuk issued a statement requesting an explanation, calling for the Iraqi flag to be flown over the municipality building, which symbolized the central authority.
"I would like to ask Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki whether lifting the flag is part of the four-way agreement," Akram wondered. The agreement was signed among the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Islamic Daawa party and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) on August 16 to revive the political process in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Kirkuk Governor Abdul-Rahman Mostafa confirmed that the local administration did not attempt to remove the flag. The municipality had replaced it with a new one as the old one wore out due to the environmental factors. Mostafa further criticized the media for raising the issue in a way that "offended" the local administration in Kirkuk.
Oil-rich Kirkuk is the centre of northern Iraq's oil industry. It is an ethnically mixed city of Kurds, Arabs, Turkuman and Christians. To ensure Arab control of Kirkuk's oil fields, successive governments in Baghdad have implemented a policy of deliberate Arabization of the city. The forced population movements and ethnic registration changes continued under former executed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, making it likely that there was no longer an official Kurdish majority in the city.
After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Kurds sought to return to their original city, which caused disputes among the three sects. Kurdish parties have been pushing to make Kirkuk part of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. On February 5, the governmental Committee for the Normalization of Kirkuk decided to relocate Arabs to their places of origin in central and southern Iraq during the Saddam era and pay them compensation in return. Arabs in Kirkuk protested that decision considering it "a form of forced migration." A referendum on incorporating Kirkuk in the Kurdish autonomous region is scheduled for the end of 2007.
Labels: Abdul-Rahman Mostafa, Arab Consultative Council, Fawzy Akram, Iraqi flag, Kirkuk, National Accord Front, Obeid Tribe, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Munshid al- Assy, Turkuman National Party
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Kurdish flag raised over Kurdistan regional parliament
Kurdistan
(AKI) - In a surprise move has that has stunned political observers, the Kurdish flag was on Tuesday raised over the Kurdistan regional parliament in place of the Iraqi flag. At a ceremony attended by parliament speaker Adnan al-Mufti, party and local officials, al-Mufti's deputy and co-ruling Kurdish Democratic Union party (KDP) member Kamal Kirkuki raised the distinctive red, yellow, green and white Kurdish flag by pressing an electronic button: an unprecedented event in the history of the Kurdish people.
The 80-square metre flag could be seen fluttering over the six-floor regional parliament building from a distance of eight kilometres. Previously, the Iraqi flag - red, white and black horizontal stripes, with three green stars and the words Alluh Akbar (God is Great) could be seen in its place.
Last September, regional president Massoud Barzani, issued a decree banning the Iraqi flag - introduced in 1968 after the Baath party coup - from offices and schools. The decree says only the Kurdish flag can hang from government buildings and checkpoints, but it allows for the Iraqi flag at "official functions", but without the religious phrase.
Generally welcomed by Kurds in the area, who view the Iraqi flag as a symbol of the oppressive former Baathist regime, Barzani's decree riled members of tribes belonging to Iraqi's Arab ethnic majority in Kurdistan and areas bordering the region. Many consider Barzani's decree as the start of a bid for de facto independence by the Kurdistan region. The authorities in Kurdistan have always rejected the Iraqi flag, preferring instead to fly the flag introduced in 1958 after Iraq - previously a monarchy - became a republic.
The regional parliament in May 2006 approved a single administration, uniting two rival parties , Barzani's KDP and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to run a unified government. The KDP and the PUK have divided up most of the cabinet posts between them, with five of the 32 going to other parties. The PUK had run Suleimaniya province, one of the three provinces in the oil-rich region, while the KDP had run the other two provinces of Erbil and Dohuk.
The 80-square metre flag could be seen fluttering over the six-floor regional parliament building from a distance of eight kilometres. Previously, the Iraqi flag - red, white and black horizontal stripes, with three green stars and the words Alluh Akbar (God is Great) could be seen in its place.
Last September, regional president Massoud Barzani, issued a decree banning the Iraqi flag - introduced in 1968 after the Baath party coup - from offices and schools. The decree says only the Kurdish flag can hang from government buildings and checkpoints, but it allows for the Iraqi flag at "official functions", but without the religious phrase.
Generally welcomed by Kurds in the area, who view the Iraqi flag as a symbol of the oppressive former Baathist regime, Barzani's decree riled members of tribes belonging to Iraqi's Arab ethnic majority in Kurdistan and areas bordering the region. Many consider Barzani's decree as the start of a bid for de facto independence by the Kurdistan region. The authorities in Kurdistan have always rejected the Iraqi flag, preferring instead to fly the flag introduced in 1958 after Iraq - previously a monarchy - became a republic.
The regional parliament in May 2006 approved a single administration, uniting two rival parties , Barzani's KDP and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to run a unified government. The KDP and the PUK have divided up most of the cabinet posts between them, with five of the 32 going to other parties. The PUK had run Suleimaniya province, one of the three provinces in the oil-rich region, while the KDP had run the other two provinces of Erbil and Dohuk.
Labels: Adnan al-Mufti, Iraqi flag, Kamal Kirkuki, Kurdish flag, Massoud Barzani
