Barzani criticizes "escalation of hostile rhetoric" towards KRI

Shafaq News / Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, cautioned on Sunday against the entrenchment of a culture of erasing others and the failure to construct a new Iraq. He strongly condemned the escalating hostile discourse against the region by various political factions and forces within the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of the "Kurdistan: Cradle of Peaceful Coexistence" conference in Erbil, the head of the government stated, "Our discourse shall be built upon love, peaceful coexistence, respect for equality, and justice. We shall not allow the importation of any ideology that promotes hatred or violence within our region. Unfortunately, it seems that some have not learned the lessons from history, as we witness new attempts to disseminate chauvinistic ideologies, negate others, and impose their will."

"We have made significant concessions to establish a federal and democratic Iraq, and we have exerted our utmost efforts to create a new Iraq where every component feels its presence and the guarantee of its rights and identity. However, we observe a gradual deviation from the desired path in this process," Barzani added, highlighting that "Iraq is heading towards the bitter experiences of its past."

Furthermore, Masrour Barzani pointed out that "there are attempts to violate our constitutional rights, along with the dissemination of misleading hate speech and hostility towards the Kurdistan Region. These individuals claim that the prosperity and development of the Kurdistan Region come at the expense of other parts of Iraq, as they seek to conceal their mismanagement, corruption, and squandering of public wealth."

He noted that during the years of sectarian conflict in large parts of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region became a refuge for everyone. All the factions that were fighting against each other in other parts of Iraq became neighbors within the Kurdistan Region.

"During the war against the terrorists of ISIS, hundreds of thousands of citizens sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region from other parts of Iraq. Most of them still do not wish to leave the camps or return to their homes because they continue to feel fear and insecurity."

He continued, "We are proud to possess such a culture, and we must all strive to develop our ideas and the spirit of coexistence among us. I call upon the people and sincere officials in other parts of Iraq to prevent the proliferation of ideas of violence and denial of the other, and to learn from the bloody history of Iraq."

The Prime Minister also stated, "Let us all work towards establishing peace, tolerance, and harnessing our capabilities to become agents of peace, putting an end to wars and bloodshed, not only in the Region and Iraq but throughout the entire region and the world."

He stressed the necessity of emphasizing that adherence to the Iraqi constitution represents the only guarantee for stability and the protection of the rights of all Iraqi components.

The Prime Minister of the Region stated, "Kurdistan and all its components have suffered numerous attempts at eradication and denial, such as the Anfal campaigns, chemical attacks, occupation of territories, ethnic cleansing, burning of everything, and displacement, thus we demand compensation for all the injustices inflicted upon us in accordance with the constitution."

Expanding on the matter, he said, "Our problem is not limited to salary issues and financial matters; they have now ignored and violated most of our constitutional rights. One clear example of this is the ongoing threat faced by Kurdish and Turkmen farmers in Kirkuk and its surroundings, where their agricultural lands are being seized. They want to link all our rights to the financial and salary issue and exploit this matter against us."

Barzani also called on the authorities in Baghdad to respect the constitution and learn from history, affirming that what we can achieve through peace and stability will not be accomplished through war, injustice, and imposition of will.

He urged the "sincere" citizens of Kurdistan and the political parties in the Region not to forget the struggles and sacrifices of their people and not to abandon their higher values under any pressure or for narrow sectarian interests, but to move forward in solidifying this culture and respecting the sacred values that distinguish us, for the sake of a prosperous and strong country.