When the Islamic State (ISIS) first waged its onslaught against the predominantly Kurdish town of Shingal in August, the Kurdish morale was weakened. The public nearly panicked in the face of a notoriously well-armed group. But then, as ISIS reached the gates of Erbil, its fighters were swiftly turned back by the Kurdish armed forces, known as Peshmerga, and by US air strikes on the militants. The Kurdish people have since continued their daily activities with little change, despite the terror threat posed by ISIS on more than the 1,000- kilometer border the Kurdistan Region now shares with the Islamic State. Last week, when I landed in Erbil from the United Kingdom where I live and study, I was not entering a war zone, or even an area that seemed to be in danger. It felt like the Erbil that I had always known, before the ISIS threat; it wasn’t on the verge of public panic or anxiety. Despite budget cuts in the region, and civil servants’ salaries delayed for many months because of Baghdad’s refusal to live up to its financial commitments to the Kurdistan Regional Government, people are not allowing ISIS to instill fear into them. The radio stations often play nationalist songs, praising the Peshmerga and embracing Kurdish unity. No one wants to succumb to the fear that ISIS has attempted to spread in the region. The bazaars and malls are just as busy – coffee shops filled with young people chattering away. It almost feels as though there is no war. Sadly, the brave Kurdish Peshmerga, who have made this sense of “safety” in the region a possibility, are on the frontlines battling ISIS, ensuring they do not advance towards Kurdish areas. As Newroz, the Kurdish New Year and a celebration of victory over oppression approaches, the Kurdish people are, within their limited means, still trying to make the best of the ISIS-war situation. It is remarkable that in the face of a heinous terror threat and extremist groups the Kurdistan Region still manages to remain largely safe. I think one thing people can appreciate is the sense of security in the Kurdistan Region, or South Kurdistan to Kurds. Extremist groups such as ISIS thrive on instilling fear in people. They want to generate an image of a terror group that can outdo all military forces. Their reliance on “fear” as a means of instilling public dismay has worked in the Arab regions in Iraq, but South Kurdistan has resisted this tactic. Regardless of its feeble attempts to harm Kurdish civilians and instigate societal disorder, ISIS has repeatedly failed. Through every disaster and massacre, the Kurds have united in the region and within diaspora communities. The sense of “unity” locally and internationally has increased, bringing back bitter memories of past dictatorships and oppressors, who for the most part attempted to instigate fear as a means of controlling the masses. It is crucial that Kurdish people continue to brush off ISIS fear tactics. When we allow extremist groups to determine our activities, we give them power and control. In order to beat ISIS at their own game, we need to take their play-cards away by mocking their cowardly attempts to terrorize civilians. Ruwayda Mustafah is a Kurdish activist and PhD student at the University of Kingston. Her research focuses on the socio-political aspects of the Kurdistan region. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.
Iraq27-09-2026One civilian, two ‘terrorists’ killed in Kirkuk province following clashes: Iraqi counterterrorismRUDAW English
