Britain, as independent and sovereign country voted to leave the European Union in order to get their independence and sovereignty back. They left a union that was prosperous, gave them a free market, free travel and free access to an entire continent. They still left because they wanted to make their own policies, their own laws instead of being told what to do by politicians in Brussels.
Many people in the UK and around the world weren’t happy to see Britain go. They believed there were great privileges for Britain in the EU, but the Brits still voted to go and no one could stop or deprive them of that right.
So why should anyone be unhappy to see the Kurds hold a similar referendum and say goodbye to Iraq? Iraq is not the EU. It is not prosperous. It is not democratic nor is it pluralistic. It has no respect for the rule of law and has no courts to make sure human rights are respected. Not only does it not give its citizens free travel and access to the whole country. It is in fact displacing and uprooting its citizens and cleansing entire areas of their inhabitants.
Like the Brits the Kurds want to be independent and decide their own affairs and make laws that suit their people, their culture, their traditions, their worldview and even their climate. The Brits in the EU weren’t completely powerless. They still had their own policies, rules and regulations as well as economic system. But the Kurds in Iraq are shackled. Baghdad has no respect for anything the Kurds do. It is blocking their oil exports, their airports, their share of the national budget, their share of arms supply and most recently all exports of poultry and farm products from the Kurdish north to the rest of the country.
The world didn't say to Britain you don't have the right to hold a referendum, they only said don't leave the union. But the same world is ready and finds a thousand excuses to tell the Kurds a referendum is not a good move and tell them blatantly to stay with Iraq.
The fear of seeing a peaceful EU fall apart makes sense. But what could be the concern for Iraq, a country that has already fallen apart, broken into pieces ruled by militia groups, extremist militants and its borders wide open at the mercy of neighboring countries.
The same way Britain tried to make the EU work the Kurds did their best for Iraq after the regime change. They went to Baghdad, helped write a good constitution, took part in its elections and sent one team after another for talks. But it was all in vain. Each time they were sent home with statements like: You can’t sell your oil, we have no budget for you, your Peshmerga salaries isn’t our responsibility, and don't ever think about separating from Iraq.
If Britain leaving the EU threatens its currency and world economy what will a Kurdish separation from Iraq threaten? Britain staying in the EU may have lent the union strength and prestige, but the Kurds staying in Iraq will on the contrary drain the only stable part of the country and drag it into every single one of its endless wars.
The British referendum provided much excitement around the world, but hopefully before it is over there will be a Kurdexit after so many failed attempts to coexist.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.
