Prof. Dr. Serbest Nabi
Professor of Political Philosophy | University of Koya
The states of the European Union and NATO appear today, more than ever, to be called upon to fulfill their moral and political commitments toward the Kurds. These states must exercise caution in their positions and conduct toward them and toward their legitimate political demands at this sensitive and historic stage for their destiny and their very existence in the Middle East, and in Syria in particular.
This call concerns, above all, the internal security of those states, not to mention their interests in the Middle East. They bear a profound moral and political responsibility in light of the sacrifices made by the Kurds against terrorism and tyranny in the region, on their behalf and on behalf of the world. What must be guarded against now is being drawn into the instrumentalism of the American political broker and usurer of cheap bargains, Tom Barrack, in dealing with the Kurdish cause and its legitimate entitlements according to his vulgar logic.
They must also always remember that the only cohesive socio-historical bloc standing in the face of terrorism and extremism—whether in the Middle East or within European states—are the Kurds, who have withstood the culture of takfir and the discourse of religious fanaticism. The slightest feeling of disappointment or betrayal among the Kurds as a result of the policies and instrumental approaches of those states would be sufficient to push Kurdish communities dispersed across the world toward jihadist extremism. At that point, all the terrorist organizations currently besieging and fighting the Kurds would open their arms to embrace Kurdish anger and resentment, sanctifying and amplifying them.
In parallel, Kurdish communities in Europe—thus far resistant to jihadist/takfiri infiltration—would become deeply aggrieved and resentful toward European states and the United States, which would in turn come to be seen by the Kurds as conspirators against their fate, deserving of retaliation.
The ideologies of Islamist extremism and the narratives of jihad would become sacred hymns of revenge against a West that betrayed them. Beware of such a stance and of this historical deviation toward which the politics of pragmatic bargaining by adventurers such as Tom Barrack and his European counterparts are leading. Political commitment to protecting the Kurds and guaranteeing their rights—alongside honoring their sacrifices on behalf of the world—would strengthen the resilience of European societies and their security in the face of the epidemic of extremism and takfiri rhetoric. Abandoning this commitment, by contrast, would render those societies vulnerable and exposed to the tempests of jihadist violence—precisely what hardline jihadist groups and the front of the enemies of democracy and peaceful coexistence are wagering on.
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