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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Kurdish Hostility Towards Arabs Strong Especially in the Irbil Area |
| 2004-03-10 |
| As Iraqi and American politicians rush to advocate Iraqi unity in the wake of the recent bombings at Kerbala and Baghdad, Kurdish discrimination against Arabs is increasingly aggravating Iraqâs internal divisions. .... Kurdish suspicion towards the Arabs remains strong after decades of persecution under Saddam Hussein â while recent bombings of the offices of Kurdish political parties have heightened tensions. The increased security has in turn increased Arab hostility towards the Kurds..... When an Iraq Today correspondent visited Irbil to investigate, he encountered similar treatment at a Kurdish checkpoint on the outskirts of the city. One Kurdish guard told him to stop the car, while another told him to keep moving, saying âwhy are you stopping? This is not a garage.â The Kurdish soldiers then refused to acknowledge the reporterâs press credentials, and demanded documentation from the Kurdish government before letting him pass. When he finally entered the city, the problems continued as policemen told him to take his car back to Baghdad and return in a taxi.... The unfriendly attitude of Kurdish officials towards Arabs is not shared by ordinary Kurds who remain friendly and welcoming towards visitors. ... In Sulaimaniyah, however, there are far fewer tensions towards visiting Arabs. âIt is different from Irbil, I donât feel that Iâm a stranger, and the security is very good, and as a matter of fact the security forces provide you with as much help as possible,â said Ali al Qaissy, a tourist from Baghdad in Sulaimaniyah. .... The bad treatment in Irbil can also be a reflection of the aversion that Saddam inculcated among the Kurds towards the innocent Arabs. However, the disparity in attitude between Irbil and Sulaimaniyah towards the Arabs might give a slight hope to the reunification of the Arabs and the Kurds under new Iraq. |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |
| #1 I bet the Iraqi press and politicians are NOT pondering, "Why do they hate us"? |
| Posted by: GK 2004-3-10 3:38:00 PM |