US panel examines Kurdistan's treatment of minorities

Rudaw's correspondent Rebaz Ali spoke with several people in Washington, D.C., regarding the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq's treatment of ethnic and religious minorities ahead of the release of a major report by a US think tank.

The report also comes on the heels of US Vice President Mike Pence's announcement to allow US State Department aid (USAID) to go directly to religious non-governmental organizations, especially those in the Middle East, thus bypassing UN bodies.

A panel at the Middle East Institute on Tuesday discussed the recent think-tank report and how minorities in the Kurdistan Region feel and are treated.

 

A US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report titled 'Wilting in the Kurdish Sun: The Hopes and Fears of Religious Minorities in Northern Iraq' was the focus of Tuesday's Middle East Institute panel: Conditions Facing Religious Minorities in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Jomana Qaddour, a policy analyst at USCIRF, spoke at the panel and presented the report, with portions critical but also commending of the Kurdistan Region's treatment of religious and ethnic minorities.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's Representative to the United States, Bayan Sami Abdul-Rahman, addressed the report and the efforts the Kurdistan Region.

"Although I would disagree with the title of their report, rather than 'Wilting in the Kurdish Sun,' I think 'Protected under the Kurdish Sun' might be more appropriate," said the Representative.

Abdul-Rahman pointed to a number of measures the Kurdistan Regional Government has taken to address religious and ethnic minorities through its Ministry for Endowment and Religious Affairs and Ministry of Education directorate for Turkmen and Assyrian studies.

"There are 21 schools that teach in Turkmen and 56 schools that teach in the Assyrian language," noted Abdul-Rahman. "There are also schools that teach in Armenian."

Additionally, the KRG Representative highlighted parliament's 11 of 111 seats specifically allocated for the minorities.

As an indicator to the Kurdistan Region's continued dedication to the acknowledgment of religious minorities, Abdul-Rahman noted the High Referendum Council drafted a 16-point manifesto that proposed what a future inclusive and diverse independent Kurdistan could look like. 

"It recognized the diversity of Kurdistan and guaranteed equal citizenship for everyone. It promoted self-rule, autonomy, decentralization for different groups using the census of 1957..." she explained. "In 1957 there were many, many more Christians in Iraq than there are now." 

Abdul-Rahman went on to explain that the manifesto went on to "guarantee by law fair representation" of minorities on local councils, institutions, in the diplomatic field, in a supreme court, linguistic rights, religious festivals, national recognition of religious holidays, and so on.

"What I want to convey to you is the significance of the rights of the minorities — ethnic and religious minorities in Kurdistan. Our leadership takes this very seriously. We believe in Kurdistan ... as a place of diversity. We are proud of our diversity. 

"We are proud of the Assyrians as the indigenous people of the region and of Iraq. We are proud of the Chaldeans, of the Syriacs. We are proud of the Turkmens of the Yezidis, the Kurds and Arabs. We don't want any of them to leave."

Abdul-Rahman concluded: "Can the KRG improve? Absolutely. I think every government can always improve. One thing to bear in mind is societies demand change as time evolves..."

 

Watch the full Middle East Institute panel: Conditions Facing Religious Minorities in Iraqi Kurdistan