October 2, 2015 21 Society

Iraq’s Turkmen on their own

Nermeen Mufti rights and persecuted since the two seats. British colonisation of Iraq in 1918,” Although they were recognised insisted Turhan Ketene, founder as a constitutive entity of Iraq in the Baghdad and president of the constitution of 1925, Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF), once an umbrella or- were later stripped of that privilege. raq’s Turkmen are the coun- ganisation for Turkmen nationalist It was not until July 2012 that Iraq’s try’s third largest ethnic group parties. legislature recognised the Turkmen after Arabs and Kurds but the “The most important reason is as the country’s third largest ethnic community of nearly 3 million to avoid stirring another problem group. people has endured displace- in Iraq and also the region by rec- Iment, isolation, discrimination and ognising that Turkmen make up a Today, violence throughout its history. high 13% of the population,” Ketene Turkmen remain Today, the Turkmen remain un- said. derrepresented in Iraqi politics and Torhan Mufti, president of the underrepresented in their plight is largely ignored. Turkmen nationalist Hak Party, Iraqi politics and Regionally, Turkey is close to said Turkmen were partly to blame their plight is largely Iraq’s Turkmen. They share a dia- for their failure to gain broader lect spoken in Istanbul and his- rights and freedoms, redeem their ignored torically they have had close ties. confiscated lands and making their Recently, however, Iraqi Turkmen case known to the international Lawmakers have since called have complained that they were by- community. their area — the areas passed as Turkey consolidated ties “This is the result of blunders by of the Turkmen — and considered with Iraq’s Kurds, with whom the Turkmen politicians,” Mufti said, Kirkuk their capital. Turkmen share territory in north- pointing to a passive political ap- “Turkmeneli, especially Kirkuk, ern Iraq. proach that had them tail Turkey produces nearly 20% of Iraq’s and Turkmen towns in Iraq were ran- instead of adopting an independent 2.2% of the world’s petroleum,” sacked and seized by Islamic State line to garner international sympa- said Sami Bayatli, a member of the (ISIS) militants in attacks that killed thy. Kirkuk city council. scores of people. Elsewhere in Iraq, “We should admit that we, as “We also have other resources Turkmen are kidnapped by groups Turkmen politicians, have failed to like natural gas and sulphur and our seeking ransom. highlight our issue in international soil is the most fertile in Iraq.” forums because of the regional con- Rashad Mendan Omar, a former Turkmen towns in trol of the Turkmen dossier,” he minister of technology and science, Iraq were ransacked said. said the Turkmen had been victims Turkmen — who have ruled Iraq of blackmail by religious and politi- and seized by six times over the centuries — in- cal groups. In 2006, Turkmen paid Islamic State (ISIS) habit various areas across the coun- $10 million in ransom for the return Makeshift classroom at a camp that hosts Turkmen displaced militants try but mainly dwell in the north. of abducted community members, families who fled ISIS violence, last February, in Yeryawah, 25 km There they share territory with the Omar said. west of Kirkuk. Life was little better for the Turk- Kurds, who keep them under check. Former Iraqi Human Rights min- men under the regime of Saddam Iraq’s Turkmen are part of the ister Mohammed Mahdi al-Bayati nic groups, which have drawn city others and our victims are literally Hussein when thousands of Turk- Turkic people found mainly in said 770 Turkmen were killed by limits in anticipation of Iraq’s di- ignored in the media,” he said. men in central and southern Iraq Central Asian regions of Iran, Turk- ISIS in the past year, at least 960 vision into three parts — Kurds in Mufti said Turkmen will “work were purged from their native vil- menistan, Afghanistan, northern others were wounded and 350, in- the north, Sunnis in the centre and hard to rescue our heritage, lan- lages, losing their property and pos- Pakistan and the North Caucasus. cluding women and children, are Shias in the south. guage, land, history and future”. sessions during a campaign in the But Iraqi Turkmen observe certain missing. Dr Elham Abbas, a UK-based gy- “But it’s high time that the world 1980s that imposed Arab culture cultural traditions evinced by the At least 590,000 Turkmen have naecologist and a Turkmen activ- knows that Turkmen are facing a and identity on ethnic groups. larger society. been displaced in Iraq, Bayati add- ist, said Turkish influence that ob- systematic cultural war and geno- Even giving Turkmen names to They are adherents of either the ed. structed Turkmen unity coupled cide,” he said. newborns was banned with viola- Sunni or Shia sects of . Many Bayatli, the Kirkuk city council with little media publicity under- tors jailed or executed. are professionals but few hold pub- member, said Turkmen are even mined efforts to make the group Nermeen Mufti, based in Baghdad, “The Turkmen were being sys- lic posts in Iraq. In the 328-seat Ira- deprived of having a word in the heard. “We are not united like the has been covering Iraqi affairs for tematically denied their political qi parliament, Turkmen have only areas they share with other eth- Kurds. We still serve the interests of more than three decades. Celebrating Yom Kippur in

Jerry Sorkin no’s songs are still the sounds with which Tunisian Muslims celebrate their weddings, circumcision cer- La Goulette, Tunisia emonies and other life events. “I did not know I was leaving Tu- hile the pope was nisia for good when I left in 1970,” celebrating inter- Max Journo said. “I can very clearly faith coexistence in remember the warmth of Tunisians, the United States, particularly with our Muslim neigh- the spirit of religious bours in Ariana with whom we Wtolerance was being expressed, al- would exchange holiday greetings beit with much less publicity, in during our respective holidays.” Tunisia. Max Journo, who returns to Tu- The Jews of Tunisia celebrated nisia frequently, chose to celebrate Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Yom Kippur at La Goulette syna- Jewish religion, on September 23rd, gogue. He said he still feels that Tu- at the same time Muslims were cel- nisia is home. ebrating Eid al-Adha. The idea that Religious tolerance is particu- Jews would be openly celebrating larly anchored in La Goulette. Jews, their religious holidays in an Arab Muslims and Italian Catholics have country may be a surprise but, de- historically lived together there. spite all the West’s fears — justified Throughout the year, Sabbath ser- and unjustified — fanaticism is not vices in the seaside suburb north of the new normal in all of North Af- are regularly performed be- rica and the Middle East. fore a small but dedicated group of attendees. Fanaticism is not the Many Jews who live in other parts new normal in all of of Tunisia and Europe but grew up in La Goulette fondly recall their North Africa and the formative years living with Muslim, Parishioners at the La Goulette synagogue. Middle East Christian and Jewish neighbours and friends in an atmosphere of Tunisia has always been a coun- harmony. and safe setting with Tunisian Jews, litical conclusions from this. “I have Tunisia in with the rest of the re- try known for coexistence between “While today there may be less no one would believe me,” said Dan- no doubt it is this unusual attach- gion’s problems.” different ethnic and religious com- than 500 Jews in all of Tunis, we iel, an American in his 20s who was ment and comfort that Tunisian But for now Tunisia will have to munities. The population of Tunis regularly see Tunisian Jews who attending Yom Kippur services at Jews feel for their country and their live with its unfortunate reputation was nearly 15% Jewish in the middle live outside of Tunisia return to visit the synagogue. sense of identity as Tunisians above as an unsafe destination. The recent of the 20th century. The cultural im- friends or to do business. Wherever all differences that probably has al- terror tragedies at the Bardo Na- print of the Jewish community was Tunisian Jews live, they are Tuni- Religious tolerance lowed Tunisia to be the one country tional Museum in Tunis and Sousse considerable, from music and art to sians at heart,” said one parishioner. is particularly among all the so-called ‘Arab spring’ beach attacks has dimmed the trade and business. Even those who This year there was a number of anchored in La countries to undergo a relatively deeper and more meaningful legacy emigrated remained attached to American Jews at the synagogue. peaceful transition to a democracy,” of tolerance and peace. their “Tunisian identity”, whether They seemed mostly in Tunis to Goulette he said. they resided in Paris, Marseilles or study or to work for some of Leah, another young American in Jerry Sorkin has been involved Tel Aviv. the many international non-govern- “I could hardly believe the sight attendance concurred. “I wish my in marketing and business “I was a teenager when I left for mental organisations in the country. of Tunisian Jews practicing their American friends could experience development in Tunisia as well studies in Rome,” said Max Journo, “When I tell my friends and fam- faith here but clearly their sense of what I have learned and person- as other MENA countries with an whose grandfather Raoul Journo, ily in the US that here, in this Arab identity as both Tunisian and Jew- ally witnessed here in Tunisia, as an emphasis on cultural tourism. He is was well-known for singing Tuni- country, I was able to celebrate the ish is one and the same,” he said. American and as a Jew,” she said. “If founder and president of TunisUSA sian traditional music. Raoul Jour- Jewish holidays in a warm, festive Daniel could not help drawing po- they did, they would stop lumping and Iconic Journeys Worldwide.