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By : Mashari Althaydi

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:: Iraqi Kurds, led by Masoud Barzani, have insisted on going through with the independence referendum which seeks to establish a separate Kurdish state. A state, which according to Barzani, is full of freedom, responsibility and independence.

This rather critical step resulted in a repercussion of instability in the political scene as was expected. The consequences didn’t do the Kurds well either, and they achieved nothing.

Washington, London, Paris, Riyadh and Cairo all urged Erbil to take a path of “wisdom,” and not hinder efforts to fight ISIS in Iraq, let alone ISIS in Syria behind them.

The states also urged for Iraq’s unity, intensifying efforts for combating terrorism and ensuring Iraqi consensus. As for the Turks, they showed their teeth to the Kurds, while supported by leaders in the Khomeini Republic of Iran.

If the Kurds don’t know ways to govern, does the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt know, or al-Nusra group in Syria, earlier, or Fath al-Sham, now?

Mashari Althaydi

Mistaken Barzani?

In response to the independence referendum, on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Iraqi Kurds don’t know how to run a state. According to Turkish television, Erdogan referred to Barzani as a traitor and said emotionally, “Until the very last moment, we weren’t expecting Barzani to make such a mistake.”

What is most thought provoking about the Turkish president’s remarks, including the Kurds’ failure to run a government is his following statement: “If Barzani and the Kurdish Regional Government do not go back on this mistake as soon as possible, they will go down in history with the shame of having dragged the region into an ethnic and sectarian war.”

Also read: Why Kurdish referendum is unlikely to end Iraqi minorities’ dilemma

Erdogan openly threatened the Kurds that Turkey would forbid pumping oil out of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Kurds went through with the referendum – this here is not our concern – and the Electoral Commission of the Kurdistan region announced that the referendum’s participation rate exceeded 72 percent.

Emerging question

Our concern revolves around emerging questions related to the Turkish president’s description of the Iraqi Kurdish referendum … the concern sets aside and overlooks Turkish concern over Kurdish dangers within Turkey… rather, it questions the following:

Are Kurds a Muslim nation? Sunni as well? So what sectarianism are we talking about? And if they were so – which is the case – are Turkey’s actions, or what it will do against the Kurds, an unjust blockade, or a legitimate sovereign boycott?

Another point, if the Kurds don’t know ways to govern, does the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt know, or al-Nusra group in Syria, before, or Fath al-Sham, now? Consistency in logic are indicators of wisdom in governance.

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:: Saudi journalist Mashari Althaydi presents Al Arabiya News Channel’s “views on the news” daily show “Maraya.” He has previously held the position of a managing senior editor for Saudi Arabia & Gulf region at pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Althaydi has published several papers on political Islam and social history of Saudi Arabia. He appears as a guest on several radio and television programs to discuss the ideologies of extremist groups and terrorists. He tweets under @MAlthaydy.

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:: Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in the Column section are their own and do not reflect RiyadhVision’s point-of-view.

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