International organizations and western powers often speak of peace and democracy in the Middle East with no meaningful strategy for achieving such noble goals. Peace and stability in the region require the development of institutions grounded in the fundamental values and principles of democracy. Peace and stability also require cognizance of the history of governance in the Middle East, the multinational character of the states in the region and demands for regional self-rule.
The Kurds, the largest nation without a state, have been struggling for self-rule and decentralized governance for decades in the Middle East. The Kurds and the countries that occupy Kurdistan are ideal case studies for finding out how to establish lasting peace and sustainable democracy in the Middle East.
The past as a guide to the future
An examination of the history of the Middle East reveals that even during imperial times, power was shared despite strong central authority. The Ottomans under the vilayet system never actually practiced complete central authority over Kurdish principalities and other vilayets in the empire the way the Turkish Republic does today.
In the latter days of the Ottoman Empire, Kurdish princes and governors like Shaykh Ubayd Allah of Nihri and Badir Khan Beg of Botan revolted repeatedly. During this period, the Kurds in Ottoman Kurdistan and Persia demonstrated that they could govern autonomously. The Kurdish principalities of Ardalan, Guran, Mukri, Baban, Buhtan functioned with autonomy before the Anglo-French Sykes-Picot Agreement established the current boundaries of Middle Eastern states.
Despite being labeled as separatists and even as terrorists, the Kurds have been one of, if not the only, actors furthering democratic development and resistance in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. They have bravely resisted oppressors and autocrats for over a century. They have sacrificed blood in the struggle for democratic rights. The Kurds have been a significant force in preventing the further entrenchment of tyranny in the Middle East. Therefore, building lasting democracy in any of these countries starts with settling the Kurdish question.
Furthermore, the Kurds have historical connections and ongoing relationships with the states that occupy their land. Despite the antagonistic nature of this relationship, they are ideal candidates for mediating a measure of peace and stability because their demands have always been democratic, making them natural allies of Persians, Turks and Arabs who are seeking democracy.
The next steps
Contrary to what many claim, a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question is very much possible. As a first step, Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq must federalize governance and give the Kurds autonomous self-governance. The states in the US as well as Wales and Scotland offer good templates for federal governance.
Already, Iraq is a federal state with a Kurdish regional government (KRG). It is true that the KRG has its problems. However, most scholars observe that it is slowly becoming a serious model of a working democracy. A similar phenomenon is likely to take place in Rojava, the Kurdish region of Syria. Several autonomous cantons have evolved. The Kurds of Turkey have made similar demands. Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the Kurdish Workers’ Party, has come up with a theory of democratic confederalism that might be a good model for Turkey. Iran’s Kurds continue to struggle along with the country’s other nationalities for a federal democratic Iran. All these efforts and struggles suggest that federalism and decentralization are the most viable way forward for peace and stability in the Middle East.
In international politics, realists often emphasize a balance of power and how it usually leads to peace. If one applies this logic to the Kurds, then it is clear that federal systems in Turkey, Syria and Iran of the Iraqi model could achieve a new balance of power. Decentralization would enable Kurdish regional governments to counter dictatorial regimes in the region. It would force regional power to the negotiating table because none of them would have unrestrained domestic power as the do today.
In a region as chaotic as the Middle East, a strong and autocratic central government does not work. Monopoly of power by one ethnicity or one nation has only led to violence. Saddam Hussein’s reign led to the Sunni monopoly of power in Iraq and persecution of minority groups. Regimes in Turkey, Syria and Iran have also been dominated by particular ethnic and/or religious groups. Even the post-Hussein Shia-dominated government of Iraq has failed to share power properly.
The only way to foster tolerance, democracy and a truly representative and inclusive system in a multicultural and multinational region is federalism. A decentralized system of government with autonomy for different regions is much more stable and peaceful. Furthermore, federalism would make governance more effective and representative. It would create a sense of common interest for various groups once they had power and had to work together to deliver public services.
The path to a peaceful and democratic Middle East starts with finding a just and peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question. The Kurds have been excluded from power structures, marginalized and denied autonomy for far too long. The international community needs to make their cause a priority.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
The post Kurdish Autonomy Can Boost Peace in the Middle East appeared first on Fair Observer.
from World News - Independent, Nonprofit Media https://ift.tt/gSwmJFq https://ift.tt/8O7xKvi
0 Comments
Online Latest Bangla News, Article - Sports, Crime, Entertainment, Business, Politics, Education, Opinion, Lifestyle, Photo, Video, Travel, National, World.
Emoji