Printer-friendly VersionThe Kurdish Globe
Nineteen years ago this month, a spontaneous, mass uprising took place in Iraqi Kurdistan against the Baath Regime, and continued throughout the month until almost all the Kurdish territories were cleaned from the Iraqi state apparatus and forces, and a de facto independent Kurdistan came to being.
By the formation of a new Iraqi federal government and Iraqi Constitution in 2003 as a result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a de facto independent Kurdistan legally became a federal region with its own government, Parliament, and security forces within federal Iraq. Today, Kurdistan Region is the safest and most stable region in Iraq, and has a vibrant and flourishing economy. What fundamentally paved the way for Iraqi Kurdistan's achievements today is this spontaneous mass uprising against oppression and aggression for freedom, independence, and dignity.
The March 1991 Uprising is one of the most historic moments in the modern history of the Kurdish national liberation movement. 1991 clearly demonstrated that national liberation and freedom can be obtained through mass participation rather than party-led vanguard guerrilla warfare. In 1991, southern Kurds proved that they were a nation for itself rather than a nation in itself. They took their destiny in their own hands and determined their future with their own acts.
The 1991 Uprising should determine a principle guide for all Kurds struggling for freedom, democracy, and dignity--that the only way toward success is the nation itself when it takes the initiative into its own hands. This does not downplay the importance of political parties, but rather indicates that the parties are only a means to an end: The nation and its freedom, independence, and prosperity is the end itself.
The 1991 Uprising should not be remembered by words and heroic statements alone; it must also be remembered as a guide for future developments and success. 1991 was a beginning, not an end, and on this strong foundation the nation must move further toward independence and freedom. On this historic and solid foundation, the nation must establish a democratic, free, and vibrant civil society in Kurdistan.
It was a good coincidence that the 19th anniversary of the 1991 Uprising coincided with a historic election in Iraq. Mass participation throughout Kurdistan in the election showed that--given any opportunity--the nation is ready to take the initiative to protect and further its democratic and national rights. It was by bullets 19 years ago, but today it is by ballot boxes.