It's terrifyingly puzzling to be on top of those "something is the new old norm" cliché concepts. One day, we're told that being forty is actually just being twenty, which would mean, by such logic, that being twenty constitutes a tiny foetus. The next day, apparently, living off the grid is the new Western dream. Or worse of all, male feminist is the new typical feminist - "in your face, Suffragettes!" I already hear the shouts.
You get my gist. It's impossible to keep track of these things, thus everyday your existence becomes more and more primordial, as most of these new concepts are nonsensical and hilarious to my mind. But surely, we all cannot be wrong by the end of the day, therefore some of these sayings should contain some truth? I had mingled with such reasoning and come up with a saying of my own: Kurds are the new Jews.
Why not? Right now, heroic Kurds of the Middle East are fighting the Islamic State, the barbaric imbecilic savages, despite significant obstructionism by Turkey. The latter is even seen as an ally by the thugs of ISIS precisely because Turkish government and the army weren't really hesitant to have a sunny field day together and give a helping hand. But Kurds are standing, especially in Kobane, fighting with bravery not witnessed by eyes of the world since the grim years of 1914 in Europe and its trenches. It doesn't matter that Kurdish struggle against ISIS is a matter of survival and not just a genuine voluntary venture to kick some radical Islamists' guts, it still proves their remarkable capacity and matureness for statehood.
Kurds is the last remaining sizable population that underwent constant violent injustice, whether by Turkey in the first half of 20th Century or, more recently, by nasty ISIS-like Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, which didn't hesitate to shower the population with chemical, weapons mercilessly. However, the Kurds were never allowed to initiate their own completely independent state. Promises as usual have been made once the population seemed to be useful for that miraculous Kurdish passion we're seeing now, yet in the end another reason for resentment and grief was delivered. Iraqi Kurds tried to have the long-awaited referendum on sovereignty in 2014 but eventually were interrupted by the on going crisis in the region.
This is exactly why Kurds should be considered to be the new Jews - another pro-Western force that thrives on entrepreneurship, multiplicity, democracy, and civil society, while dismisses any sort of absurd fanatical one religion-based order. A vivid example, while other countries in the region are keeping women on restricted house-size podium designed specifically for husbands, Kurds are empowering women to do what they want - be it fighting against the virgins of the Islamic State. The least international community could do is to give the same treatment the Jews have received after World War II - do whatever it takes to support the creation of independent Kurdish state.
Nobody honestly adores redrawing the borders, that's why initiation of Israel was met with baboonish response and all-out attack by the Arab countries, who resent British for their daft doodles of the borders, yet, ironically, would stand to the martyrdom to defend them any day. But where are the borders now in the Middle East? Iraq and Syria have essentially no borders since the Islamic State controls most of their territories. The former country has a failed army that couldn't dare to face the threat of militants and just ran off, meanwhile, other country is ruled by flat-forehanded, chemical weapons using, genocide committing filth named Bashar al-Assad.
What exactly will happen after the bloody reign of ISIS? Very few dare to ask. It's almost conspiracy-like feeling that there's a secret deal struck to put everything back where it was. Or, more likely, the leaders of world are weak, incoherent, and focused on playing Frisbee and pass future decisions to future leaders. It would indeed be a colossal sin to let Syrian regime off their committed crimes just because it joined coalition and had an interest in defeating ISIS. I would have absolutely no objections if the first moment the common enemy is defeated, Syria would feel a sharp stab to the back, only because it had called for one and still should be held accountable. Similarly, Iraqi government has failed to pass the test slipped by leaving American and British troops and quickly degraded democratic governance principles to ignite old religious quarrels.
In a way, after the demise of ISIS, part of the region will be ready to be kneaded. And I don't see any arguments for not granting a state for the Kurds who deserve one far more than certain other countries. If leaders of the world are seriously trying to find a strategy to cool off the region, supporting the state of Kurds must be a priority. The timing is right, the borders' lines are in vague, and momentum is here, why in Kurdistan's name not?
It has been said that the best hope peace has in the Middle East is Kurds - but that's a pessimistic and cynical demotion of Kurds. Population that despite decades of traumatising events still stands and keeps the brutes at the gates, just so that we could enjoy a sip of Chardonnay without annoying radical Islamists spilling into other regions, isn't a hope for the region - it's the only way.