KHANAQIN, Kurdistan Region — Khanaqin’s mayor promised local protesting farmers on Monday to help them so that a decision to take their lands away is not implemented.
“The time where Khanaqin was being oppressed due to its Kurdish ethnic identity has passed. We will not implement these decisions,” Mayor Mohammed Mala Hasan told Rudaw.
Fazil Morad works the fields in the village of Aliawa. Its residents including Fazil were relocated to the southern Iraqi city of Ramadi 44 years ago due to their Kurdish ethnicity.
Their and were given to Arab settlers through deeds notarized by the Iraqi government.
Following the liberation, Kurds returned to areas which had been predominately Kurdish prior to the Baath policies. The regime actively targeted Kurdish, Shiite, and any form of political opposition.
Now, 16 years after the collapse of the Baath party regime, the same decision was reactivated.
They claim since federal control was exerted over Khanaqin following the events of October 2017, 76,800 donum (18,977 acres) have been given to Arab settlers.
Kurdish protestors gathered in front of the mayor's office on Monday.
“Another round of Arabization has started. Why are the members of provincial council and Iraqi parliament silent about this matter while they are supposed to represent the Kurds,” said farmer Shakur Mahmud.
Mohammed Hashim is the head of property at the Diyala agriculture department.
“They can present their demands in writing, and we will refer it to people above us," he said.
According the Iraqi constitution, disputed or Kurdistani areas shall decide by a referendum whether they want to be administered by Erbil or Baghdad.
"Regarding the contracts of Decree No. 117 which has been revoked, we will refer it to the committee on investigation and distribution at Diyala agriculture department. This way, the contracts will be given back to Kurdish farmers in accordance with Article 140 of the constitution," Hashim claimed.
The issue reflects increasing complexities with Iraqi federal law and Kurdistan Region law, as well as weak judicial systems. Problems often have to be solved between high-level political delegations or leaders.
Reporting by Halo Mohammed