"Where is the global outrage?" An Australian perspective criticizes the lack of interest in the Kurdish case
Shafaq News / The Australian Institute of International Affairs has criticized the lack of global attention given to the Kurdish case by media, politics, and academia, asking, "Where is the global outrage?" The struggle faced by the Kurdish nation, the largest stateless ethnic group in the Middle East, has remained largely shrouded in mystery.
The report highlighted that Turkish drone attacks targeting the Kurds in Iraq and Syria are met with deafening silence from the very countries and global media outlets that swiftly respond to crises elsewhere, stressing a perplexing and concerning dynamic.
Kurdistan and Palestine:
The report goes on to explain that while considerable attention has been directed towards Palestine, the struggles of the Kurdish nation in Kurdistan, described as the largest stateless ethnic group in the Middle East, have largely remained shrouded in obscurity.
According to the Australian report, the aspirations of both Kurdistan and Palestine, along with their respective populations, revolve around the fundamental right to self-determination—a principle enshrined in international law that emphasizes the right of all peoples to freely determine their political status, pursue their economic, social, and cultural interests.
"While this principle may seem balanced on paper, there is a stark contrast in the attention, not only in media coverage and press releases but also in academia."
The report further elaborated that a quick internet search reveals a vast disparity in research funding and academic focus between the Palestinian and Kurdish issues. Over the past seven decades, the volume of studies, analyses, and discussions centered around Palestine far exceeds that of any other self-determination conflict globally, particularly since the establishment of Israel.
The Sole Resolution
Furthermore, the report highlighted the stark contrast in the number of resolutions issued by the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council concerning the Palestinian issue.
In contrast, regarding the situation in Kurdistan, only one resolution was issued, specifically UN Security Council Resolution 688 in April 1991, which pertained exclusively to a part of Kurdistan, specifically in Southern Kurdistan within Iraq.
The report highlighted that this international disparity becomes even more apparent when examining the number of resolutions targeting Israel, which has exceeded 200 resolutions since 2015.
Simultaneously, the plight of the Kurds in Iran, Syria, and Turkey has largely gone unnoticed by the international community.
The report recalled events in 2005 when, after decades of oppression by the Iraqi state, the constitution finally granted rare recognition to the Kurds in Southern Kurdistan, providing them with self-governance and representation within the state's governing structure. However, other repressive and nationalist states, such as Iran, Syria, and Turkey, continue to deny recognition to the Kurds, despite their commitments to human rights agreements.
The Genocide:
The report stressed that the tragedies in Kurdistan reveal an undeniable magnitude, with the loss of lives far exceeding that resulting from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It noted that, in one instance, the Iraqi regime conducted a mass killing of over five thousand Kurdish civilians in Southern Kurdistan in a single day on March 16, 1988, using chemical weapons.
Additionally, the report pointed to the Iranian regime's record, which includes organized extrajudicial killings and excessive use of force against Kurds in Eastern Kurdistan. Many Kurdish political prisoners face the death penalty. Furthermore, violations of Kurdish economic, social, and cultural rights are widespread, originating from the Shah's era.
In Turkey, the report states that the recognition of Kurdish identity has been denied since the constitution in 1923. Kurds have been subjected to numerous massacres by the Turkish state, which could be considered a form of genocide.
Moreover, the report highlights that repression is evident across various fields, including the dismissal and arrest of elected Kurdish municipal leaders on politically motivated charges. They have been replaced by government-appointed officials.
Regarding Kurdish parliamentarians, the report noteed that they have been collectively stripped of their parliamentary immunity and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
In Syria, the report pointed out that the Kurds in Western Kurdistan, known as "Rojava," prior to the civil war, suffered from Arabization and the stripping of nationality from hundreds of thousands.
The report considered the United Nations' silence in responding to these countless actions to be a significant concern, raising important questions about its role in protecting human rights and democratic principles.
The report further stated that Turkey's actions have extended beyond its borders, violating Iraq's and Syria's sovereignty. Turkey has occupied regions of "Rojava" and committed violations related to housing, land, and property rights, resulting in demographic changes since 2018.
Furthermore, Turkey has repeatedly launched incursions and drone strikes, causing hundreds of civilian casualties and casualties among Kurdish forces in Western and Southern Kurdistan in Syria and Iraq.
The report noted that Southern Kurdistan has also been targeted by suicide drone attacks and missile strikes by the Iranian regime, primarily directed at opposition Kurdish parties operating there.
These violations, which undermine international peace and security, have faced only minimal international condemnation. This raises questions about whether the sovereignty of Iraq and Syria is seen as less legitimate than that of other states. Additionally, complaints regarding the Turkish military's use of banned chemical weapons against Kurdish forces have been met with a disturbing lack of response from the international community.
NATO Membership
The report questioned whether NATO membership grants a certain level of immunity for violating international law without consequences.
The report emphasized that every civilian victim deserves a prominent place in global media. However, incidents like these often slip under the radar of international attention.
The report concluded that the disparity in international attention becomes even more striking when comparing it to the situation between Israel and Palestine. It raises the question: What distinguishes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and elevates it to a prominent global status, while the Kurdish plight and the division of Kurdistan among the four states remain relatively shrouded in mystery?
Regarding accusations of racial discrimination, such as those facing Israel, the report asked, "What label should be applied to the regimes of Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq before 2003, which suppressed Kurdish rights since the end of World War I?"
Right to self-determination
After emphasizing the necessity of remembering that all peoples have the right to self-determination, the report highlighted that media and academic circles play a vital role in shaping narratives and perceptions, inadvertently influencing the recognition of struggles. The Kurdistan case serves as an example of this, among countless other cases, including West Papua, Balochistan, Rohingya in Myanmar, Uighurs in China's Xinjiang, and various indigenous or religious minority groups in countries like India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and South America.
In contrast, the report expressed regret that the Kurds do not hold a status in international law similar to the International Court of Justice. It added that if the EU, the UN, academic communities, and global media support the right to self-determination for Palestine, there should be no hindrance to applying a similar approach to Kurdistan. This would ensure a balanced and equitable distribution of attention and support for all struggles for self-determination, ultimately strengthening the global system to be fair and comprehensive.
